DUKE  UNIVERSITY 


LIBRARY 


The  Glenn  Negley  Collection 
of  Utopian  Literature 


JOHN  HARVEY 


A  TALE  OF  THE  TWENTIETH  CENTURY 


P  V 


ANON    MOORE 


CHICAGO 

CHARLBS    H.    KERR    &    COMPANY 

1897 


Entered  according  to  the  Act  of  Congress  in  the  year  1896,  by  A 

Bidgeley,  in  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress, 

at  Washington,  D.  C. 


DEDICATION. 

I  dedicate  this  book  to  my  Wife,  who  has  been  my  only 
critic  and  helper,  and  whose  sympathy  and  appreciation 
have  been  my  stimulus  in  the  work.  A.  M. 


COXTEXTS 

Chapter.  Page. 

I.     The  Statue  on  Pike's  Peak H 

II.     Neuropolis   J9 

III.  The  Opera   27 

IV.  Other  Incidents   33 

V.  The   Nationality;     Its     Principles,    Objects   and 

Organization  38 

VI.     Clothilde  46 

VII.     The  Mountain  and  Mining  Districts 54 

VIII.     The  Engravings   59 

IX.     The  Illumination  66 

X.     Legal  and  Other  Difficulties 76 

XI.     The  Land  and  the  People 85 

XII.     The  Albatross  06 

XIII.  The  Treasure   108 

XIV.  The  Aqueduct  Bridge 123 

XV.     The  Manuscript  138 

XVI.     The  Talk H7 

XVII.     The  Manuscript  157 

XVIII.     The  Manuscript   i/5 

XIX.     The  Entertainment  191 

XX.     The  Manuscript  198 

XXI.     The  Boat  Ride 219 

XXII.     The  Reception   237 

XXIII.  The   East   250 

XXIV.  Proceedings  in  Congress 269 

5 


6  Contents 

XXV.  Philip  Oram  285 

XXVI.  The  Return  303 

XXVII.  The  Hymn  of  the  Nationality 315 

XXVIII.  The  Revelation    326 

XXIX.  The  Tomb 338 

XXX.  The  Princess   353 

XXXI.  The  March  of  the  Three  Hundred  Thousand. ..  360 

XXXII.  The  Union  of  the  States 373 

XXXIII.  The  National  Labor  Union 378 

XXXIV.  The  Celebration   393 


INTR  OD  UC  TION. 

I  am  the  eldest  son  of  the  Duke  of  Dorsetshire,  and 
for  many  years  bore  the  title  of  Lord  Herbert  Maxwell 
Dudley.  I  enjoyed  superior  educational  advantages,  be- 
ing sent  to  the  best  schools  in  England  and  Germany, 
where  I  studied  with  assiduity,  and  became  proficient  in 
all  the  branches  necessary  to  a  liberal  education. 

On  attaining  my  majority,  desiring  to  see  service,  I 
entered  the  British  navy,  and  held  the  rank  of  lieutenant 
on  his  majesty's  ship  Vulcan  at  the  time  of  her  destruc- 
tion in  the  harbor  of  Yokohama,  in  nineteen  hundred 
and  twenty-nine. 

I  then  quitted  the  navy,  and  for  several  years  there- 
after traveled  extensively  in  various  portions  of  the  globe ; 
generally  on  business  connected  with  the  governmental 
service  of  Great  Britain,  but  always  seeking  information 
about  certain  problems,  in  which  I  was  much  interested, 
concerning  the  advancement  of  the  human  race. 

I  had  at  one  time  or  another  visited  the  great  cap- 
itals of  Europe,  the  time-worn  and  historic  cities  of  Asia, 
and  had  picked  my  way  through  the  motley  crowds  that 
throng  the  narrow  streets  of  China  and  Japan. 

In  all  these  places  I  had  mixed  with  the  highest,  the 
lowest  and  the  middle  class  of  citizens,  my  object  being 
to  observe  the  various  races  of  mankind  in  all  their  devel- 
opments, and  to  study  philosophically  the  causes  of  the 
poverty  and  degradation  which  have  always  attended 
them. 

In  the  countries  which  I  visited,  various  reasons  were 
given  for  these  evils,  but  none  of  them  were  at  all  satis- 

7 


8  Introduction 

factory  to  me.  I  had  heard  the  stock  phrases  of  the 
classes  supposed  to  be  most  conversant  with  such  sub- 
jects— the  clergy,  with  their  high  moral  tone  and  proffers 
of  a  compensatory  immortality  beyond  the  grave,  blessed 
promise  in  which  I  fully  believe;  the  Malthusian  phil- 
sopher,  with  his  statistics  in  regard  to  population  and 
its  proper  distribution,  and  the  statesman,  with  his  rules 
of  supply  and  demand,  balance  of  trade,  currency  circu- 
lation, etc.,  but  none  of  them,  nor  all  of  them  together, 
were  able  to  explain  to  me  why,  twenty  centuries  after 
the  advent  of  the  Prince  of  Peace,  so  little  had  been  ac- 
complished to  elevate  the  masses  of  mankind,  and  to  re- 
deem them  from  this  condition  of  poverty  and  want,  and 
from  all  the  burden  of  anxiety,  sin,  and  woe  that  inva- 
riably accompanies  it. 

Were  the  people  to  hope  for  comfort  and  enjoyment 
only  beyond  the  grave?  Was  it  not  possible  to  make  life 
itself  among  them  something  more  than  a  ceaseless  tread- 
mill of  drudgery  to  obtain  the  necessaries  and  possibly  a 
few  of  the  comforts  of  existence?  Was  it  not  possible  to 
remove  from  them  the  constant  anxiety  lest  through 
some  sickness,  some  error  of  judgment,  or  some  other 
calamity  their  means  of  obtaining  an  independent  liveli- 
hood should  be  lost? 

In  my  journeyings  I  had  observed  that  everywhere 
the  members  of  the  human  family  were,  in  all  matters  of 
business  and  finance,  and  even  in  social  relations,  in  act- 
ive and  continued  conflict  with  each  other.  I  had  seen 
that  this  strife  was  not  waged  for  the  good  of  the  masses, 
though  some  philosophers  maintained  it  was  for  the  ulti- 
mate advantage  of  the  race,  but  that  like  weaker  swim- 
mers on  a  tempestuous  ocean  many  constantly  gave  out, 
and  though  help  was  sometimes  extended,  yet  as  a  rule 
the  exhausted  were  allowed  to  perish. 


Introduction  9 

Could  not  some  plan  be  devised  by  which  this  con- 
flict might  be  avoided,  by  which  the  energies  displayed  in 
it  might  be  employed  in  the  interests  of  all,  and  the  pride 
and  supposed  honor  resulting  from  individual  success  be 
merged  in  the  true  pride  and  honor  of  caring  for  the 
masses,  and  working  together  for  the  advancement  of 
the  race? 

I  had  thought  a  great  deal  on  these  subjects,  but 
with  no  practical  results — human  ability  appeared  unable 
to  control  human  selfishness  in  dealing  with  them. 

The  spring  of  1935  found  me  at  Hong  Kong  and 
with  little  to  do  except  to  follow  my  own  inclinations. 
One  evening  a  friend  spoke  to  me  of  a  body  called  "The 
Nationality,"  of  which  I  had  heard  before  as  a  sort  of 
commune,  located  in  the  United  States  of  America,  occa- 
sioning great  anxiety  to  the  government  of  that  nation 
by  reason  of  its  peculiar  and  socialistic  doctrines. 

My  friend  said  that  this  community  had  been  or- 
ganized less  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  previous  by  John 
Harvey,  a  very  wealthy  man  of  that  country,  and  that 
already  the  unusual  character  of  its  principles,  the  beauty 
and  elegance  of  its  capital,  and  the  comfort  and  prosper- 
ity of  its  people  were  attracting  great  attention.  He  ad- 
vised me  to.  visit  it  and  study  its  peculiar  institutions. 

This  being  in  accordance  with  a  desire  I  had  long 
entertained  of  traveling  in  the. United  States,  in  April  I 
took  passage  on  a  steamer  for  San  Francisco,  where  I 
arrived  early  in  May. 

In  this  city  I  heard  so  much  in  regard  to  the  Na- 
tionality and  its  capital  that,  after  stopping  there  only  two 
days,  I  hurried  on  by  the  transcontinental  railway  to  be- 
gin my  observations  within  its  borders. 


JOHN  HARVEY: 

A  Tale  of  the  Twentieth  Century. 
CHAPTER  I. 

THE    STATUE     ON     PIKE'S    PEAK. 

I  was  told  that  from  the  top  of  Pike's  Peak,  a  great 
mountain  near  which  I  would  pass  on  my  way  to  the  cap- 
ital of  the  Nationality,  I  could  get  the  most  extensive  view 
to  be  had  of  its  territory,  for  if  the  atmosphere  were  clear, 
the  outlook  to  the  eastward  would  be  limited  only  by  the 
possibilities  of  human  vision,  the  mountain  standing  so 
near  the  plain  that  nothing  intercepted  the  sight. 

On  the  evening  of  the  fourth  of  May,  1935,  I  reached 
this  locality  and  early  on  the  morning  of  the  fifth  ascended 
the  peak  by  a  cog-wheel  railway,  and  stood  upon  its  sum- 
mit at  an  elevation  of  over  14,000  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  sea.  A  heavy  fog,  or  cloud  bank,  enveloped  it  and 
hid  the  view,  but  this  I  was  told  would  be  dissipated  by 
the  sun's  rays  within  an  hour. 

The  top  of  the  mountain  contained  an  area  of  about 
forty  acres  of  level  but  rock  strewn  ground,  and  a  small 
station  house,  where  food  and  lodging  might  be  pro- 
cured, was  the  only  building  upon  it.  This  stood  some 
distance  back  from  the  place  on  the  eastern  verge  of  the 
mountain,  which  was  shown  me  as  the  best  locality  for 
obtaining  a  view  of  the  plains  below. 

On  reaching  this  point  I  dismissed  the  guide,  a  prac- 
tice in  which  I  often  indulged  when  desiring    to  com- 


12  John  Harvey 

mune  uninterruptedly  with  Nature,  and  seating  myself  on 
a  convenient  stone  awaited  the  rising  of  the  fog. 

I  had  recently  learned  that  the  Nationality,  instead  of 
being  small  in  territorial  extent,  as  I  had  previously 
thought,  embraced  a  very  large  area,  including  the  States 
of  Utah,  South  Dakota,  Nebraska,  Kansas,  Colorado, 
Wyoming,  Arizona,  New  Mexico,  and  a  large  part  of 
Texas;  being  a'bout  one-fourth  the  size  of  Europe,  and 
containing  within  its  borders  a  population  of  over  ten 
million  souls. 

The  plain  or  level  portion  of  this  country  a  few  years 
before  had  been  arid  land,  producing  nothing  except 
short,  scanty  grass.  It  had  been  reclaimed  by  the  construc- 
tion of  a  great  canal,  some  hundreds  of  miles  in  length, 
taken  out  of  the  Missouri,  one  of  the  great  rivers  that 
traverse  the  United  States. 

This  work  was  attributed  to  John  Harvey  and  had  re- 
sulted in  converting  the  region  into  one  of  remarkable 
fertility. 

The  fog  had  now  begun  to  lift  along  the  sides  of  the 
mountain,  swirling  and  turning  like  a  live  thing  in  the 
calorific  influence  of  the  ascending  sun.  Through  its  rifts 
could  occasionally  be  seen  the  ragged  edges  of  piles  of 
granite  rocks,  and  as  it  let  go  the  mountain's  rugged  sides, 
these  were  relieved  at  lower  altitudes,  by  patches  of  green 
pines,  and  by  momentary  glimpses  of  the  plain  itself.  Finally 
as  the  fog  broke  away  entirely  and  was  lifted  above  me,  it 
unveiled  a  view  of  the  plain  below,  grand  in  its  limitless 
extent;  beautiful  in  its  verdure,  in  its  variety  of  coloring, 
in  its  trees,  lakes,  and  ribbon-like  streams;  and  interesting 
in  the  promise  of  human  life,  activity,  and  enterprise,  given 
by  the  countless  villages  and  hamlets  which  could  now  be 
seen  on  its  surface. 

The  plain  touched  the  very  base  of  the  mighty  moun- 


The  Statue  on  Pike's  Peak  13 

tain  mass  on  whose  summit  I  sat,  and  in  its  high  cultiva- 
tion formed  a  striking  contrast  to  the  rough  granite  sides 
of  the  Peak. 

One  seemed  to  be  looking  from  the  abode  of  pristine 
wildness  and  Nature  into  a  wonderful  garden,  vast  in 
extent,  and  smiling  and  beautiful  in  its  variety  and  fer- 
tility. 

As  the  mists  cleared  away,  revealing  more  and  more 
of  its  surface,  I  found  fresh  enjoyment  in  the  contempla- 
tion of  the  region  I  was  about  to  visit. 

The  air  was  pure  and  clear,  the  light  bright  and 
strong,  and  there  was  a  newness  and  exhilaration  about 
the  scene  such  as  had  never  before  possessed  me  in  gazing 
on  a  landscape. 

At  the  height  from  which  I  viewed  it,  all  details 
blended  into  the  general  effect  of  a  great  painting, 
stretched  out  before  me,  complete  in  every  part  and  won- 
derful in  its  rich  though  quiet  coloring.  The  varying 
shades  of  green  in  the  fields,  grass,  and  trees;  the  lighter 
coloring  touched  in  by  the  azure  tints  of  numerous  lakes 
and  water-courses;  the  darker  shades  of  newly  plowed 
ground  and  the  shadowy  outlines  of  towns,  villages  and 
roadways;  all  combined  to  form  a  most  harmonious  and 
enchanting  picture;  a  dream  landscape  which  seemed  at 
any  moment  ready  to  dissolve  and  fade  away. 

For  a  long  time  I  gazed  upon  it,  giving  myself  up  to 
the  charm  of  the  situation,  imagining  the  land  itself  as  the 
abode  of  an  elevated  and  elevating  humanity;  as  a  realiza- 
tion of  something,  hitherto  visionary,  exciting  feelings  of 
joyous  hope  and  admiration. 

At  length  I  recalled  my  wandering  thoughts  and 
began  to  examine  more  closely  into  details. 

In  the  foreground,  a  large  town,  or  city,  embowered 
in  shade,  was  plainly  visible;  and  in  the  distance  toward 


14  John  Harvey 

the  north  there  seemed  another,  far  greater  in  extent, 
with  faint  domes  of  colossal  size  and  high  structures 
glistening  white  in  the  rising  sunlight.  I  was  not  sure  the 
latter  was  real,  and  taking  from  my  pocket  a  small  map 
of  the  locality,  which  I  had  procured  in  die  little  hamlet  at 
the  foot  of  the  mountain,  I  followed  the  direction  on  it 
and  found  that  what  I  saw  so  dimly  was  an  actual  city, 
Neuropolis,  the  capital  city  of  the  Nationality. 

I  had  heard  accounts  of  its  beauty  from  various  trav- 
elers whom  I  had  met,  but  had  always  considered  them  as 
tinged  with  that  love  of  the  marvelous  so  innate  in  hu- 
manity, but  now,  looking  upon  this  landscape,  I  felt  will- 
ing to  give  credence  to  any  tale,  however  wonderful, 
respecting  it. 

Is  it  possible,  thought  I,  that  this  land  was,  less  than  a 
quarter  of  a  century  ago,  an  arid  waste?  Is  it  possible 
that  human  ingenuity  and  skill  have  made  it  the  paradise 
it  seems?  Verily  if  in  so  short  a  time  my  dreams  of  a 
dwelling  place  and  a  material  country  have  been  so  fully 
realized,  can  I  not  expect  the  fulfillment  here  of  other 
dreams  of  the  enfranchisement  of  the  race? 

Was  John  Harvey  the  man  who  first  conceived  the 
idea  of  this  transformation?  Was  it  he  who  had  begun 
this  work  of  converting  the  wilderness  into  a  land  of 
homes? 

He  was  not  entirely  a  stranger  to  me.  I  had  known 
him  as  performing  audacious  deeds  and  possessing  won- 
derful and  almost  supernatural  powers,  used,  alas!  for  no 
such  purposes  as  these,  but  ruthlessly  and  cruelly.  I  had 
seen  the  evidence  that  he  was  a  very  rich  man,  and  had 
been  told  that  he  owned  a  principality,  which  he  had  given 
away. 

Could  it  be  possible  that  I  was  now  looking  at  it? 


The  Statue  on  Pike's  Peak  15 

The  great  river  coming  from  the  north;  had  John  Harvey 
made  a  way  for  that? 

I  had  heard  something  of  a  city  he  had  founded;  was 
it  the  one  I  saw  in  the  dim  distance?  How  much  or  how 
little  of  all  this  was  really  John  Harvey's  work? 

I  had  known  him  only  by  far  different  deeds,  deeds 
exciting  abhorrence.  Doubtless  these  great  works  were 
the  products  of  many  minds  and  many  efforts,  though  not 
of  many  years. 

Turning  as  these  thoughts  passed  through  my  mind 
and  looking  around,  I  saw  just  behind  me,  not  thirty  feet 
away,  the  figure  of  a  man,  bare-headed  and  holding  a 
cocked  hat  in  his  left  'hand,  his  face  turned  toward  me,  his 
eyes  shaded  from  the  sun  by  his  uplifted  right  hand,  look- 
ing, as  I  conjectured,  directly  on  me,  and  I  knew  him  to  be 
John  Harvey. 

The  figure  stood  still,  and  when  I  had  recovered  from 
my  first  sensation  of  alarm  I  surveyed  it  with  the  utmost 
attention. 

I  now  saw  the  eyes  were  not  fixed  on  me,  but  were 
gazing  out  over  the  land,  with  an  earnestness  and  interest 
such  as  I  had  seldom  seen  depicted  on  a  human  face — the 
whole  being,  indeed,  seemed  engaged  in  the  contemplation 
of  the  landscape  before  him.  There  was  an  eagerness  to 
observe,  a  rapt  attention,  strikingly  evident  in  the  eye, 
the  ear,  the  hand,  and  the  whole  attitude. 

The  body  was  slightly  bent  forward,  one  foot  in  ad- 
vance of  the  other,  as  if  the  motion  onward  had  hardly 
been  arrested.  The  face  was  noble,  kind,  and  yet  very 
forceful;  the  nose  was  large,  as  was  the  mouth,  the  latter 
firmly  compressed;  the  nostrils  wide,  the  lower  jaw  strong. 
The  curves  of  the  lips,  nose,  and  brow  were  graceful,  the 
latter  high  and  full,  the  eyes  dark  and  piercing,  and  the 
figure  majestic  and  commanding. 


1 6  John  Harvey 

The  feet  were  cased  in  boots  with  whitish  tops  turned 
down  from  near  the  knee;  whitish  breeches,  or  small 
clothes,  covered  the  lower  limbs;  a  waistcoat  of  the  same 
color  protected  the  chest,  leaving  visible  shirt  front,  collar 
and  wristbands  of  the  purest  white.  A  long  black  over- 
coat fell  below  -the  middle  of  the  leg,  and  a  black  tie  com- 
pleted the  attire. 

The  hands  were  bare,  and  extremely  shapely  as  were 
the  feet;  the  face  was  clean-shaven,  and  the  hair  black, 
sprinkled  with  gray,  but  abundant.  The  left  hand  held 
the  hat,  apparently  just  removed. 

Such  was  the  figure  I  saw  thus  unexpectedly;  the 
fog  had  concealed  it  as  I  walked  to  my  place  of  observa- 
tion. It  was  a  face  and  a  figure  one  seldom  sees  and 
never  forgets,  and  could  belong  to  none  other  than  to 
him  whom  men  called  John  Harvey. 

I  gazed  at  this  lifelike  apparition.  Its  freshness  and 
vigor  were  in  apt  keeping  with  that  of  the  landscape 
below.  There  was  not  a  mark  of  time's  ravages  upon  it, 
no  corroded  line,  no  blurred  or  marred  feature.  In  face, 
in  form,  in  raiment,  the  man  was  as  complete,  as  fault- 
less, as  if,  being  yet  alive,  he  had  stepped  from  the  train 
and  walked  in  company  with  me  to  the  spot  where  he 
now  stood. 

The  statue,  for  such  I  soon  found  it  to  be,  was  placed 
upon  a  low  pedestal,  or  platform  rather,  of  dressed  gran- 
ite about  eight  feet  square,  which  was  covered  with  the 
semblance  of  an  altar  cloth,  made  of  some  strange  black 
riaterial  hanging  in  folds  over  the  sides  and  ends. 

Who  placed  this  imposing  memorial  on  this  rocky 
height,  and  what  was  its  significance?  Was  it  the  work 
of  a  few  cherished  friends,  or  was  it  the  grateful  remem- 
brance of  an  entire  people? 

I  could  not  tell,  but  if  John  Harvey  had  really  plan- 


The  Statue  on  Pike's  Peak  17 

ned,  or  if  his  means  had  made  possible  the  redemption  of 
this  land,  how  appropriately  was  his  statue  placed  on  this 
lofty  pinnacle. 

Might  not  his  tempestuous  soul  occasionally  revisit 
its  former  abodes  and  find  solace  in  beholding  the  happy 
fruition  of  these  great  designs  in  the  peaceful  landscape 
before  me.  Might  it  not  even  now  linger  near  enjoying 
the  emotions  which  the  scene  undoubtedly  revealed  in 
my  face  and  actions? 

I  remained  some  time  longer  on  the  summit,  now 
gazing  eastward  on  the  landscape  ever  changing  in  the 
shifting  light  of  the  sun,  and  again  looking  westward  on 
the  billows  of  granite  peaks  lifting  their  gray  tops  sky- 
ward, as  if  a  mighty  ocean,  stirred  'by  a  mighty  storm, 
had  been  at  some  omnipotent  fiat  suddenly  converted  into 
stone. 

At  lower  altitudes,  in  the  intervals  among  the 
mountains,  lay  countless  grassy  parks,  fit  dwelling  places 
for  peace,  quiet  and  content,  and  higher  up,  their  sides 
were  clothed  by  dark  masses  of  sombre  pines,  and  some- 
times by  a  dense  undergrowth  of  smaller  trees  whose 
varieties  were  unknown  to  me,  but  which  lent  color  to 
the  scene. 

But  I  looked  often  and  long  at  the  face  of  the  statue, 
so  strong,  so  earnest,  so  eager,  so  sympathetic,  gazing 
out  over  the  land  where  the  man  had  once  dwelt,  and 
from  which  he  was  now  parted,  and  I  left  the  spot  deeply 
impressed  with  the  mingled  grandeur  and  pathos  of  this 
attempt  to  insure  earthly  immortality  and  remembrance. 

I  returned  to  the  busy  chatel  at  the  base  of  the  moun- 
tain, with  a  feeling  of  deep  interest  in  this  land  and  all 
that  concerned  it. 

In  the  afternoon  I  continued  my  journey  toward 
Neuropolis,  haunted  all  the  way  by  the  face  and  figure 


1 8  John  Harvey 

of  the  statue  of  the  peak,  now  left  behind  me  in  the  awful 
solitude  of  the  upper  air,  but  still  able  to  overlook  the 
hurrying  train  as  it  sped  northward  toward  the  capital 
city. 


CHAPTER  II. 

NEUROPOLIS. 

I  reached  Neuropolis  late  in  the  evening  and  found 
lodgings  in  one  of  the  great  hotels  of  the  city. 

I  had  resolved  on  maintaining  an  incognito  that  I 
might  better  and  more  unobtrusively  observe  and  study 
the  institutions  of  the  country,  and  had  prepared  for  this 
by  procuring  letters  of  introduction  and  recommenda- 
tion in  the  name  simply  of  Mr.  Herbert  Maxwell,  and 
had  so  registered  and  made  myself  known  since  landing 
in  America. 

A  great  city,  as  well  as  a  great  country,  has  many 
sides,  and  the  stranger  desirous  of  acquiring  more  than 
a  cursory  knowledge  of  it  would  better  begin  with  the 
study  of  its  physical  features. 

My  first  days  in  the  capital  were  accordingly  spent 
in  examining  its  topography  and  other  material  charac- 
teristics. 

It  is  situated  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  great  canal 
before  mentioned,  about  fifty  miles  from  the  base  of  the 
mountains,  and  a  few  miles  northward  from  the  summit 
or  crest  of  the  divide  between  the  watersheds  of  the  Ar- 
kansas and  Platte  Rivers. 

It  is  surrounded  by  a  branch  of  this  canal,  taken  out 
twenty  miles  to  the  northward,  running  thence  eastward 
and  southward,  forming  in  natural  depressions  several 
large  lakes  and  emptying  into  another  great  branch  of 
the  canal  known  as  Lateral  B,  fifty  miles  from  the  point 
of  departure. 

X9 


20  John  Harvey 

The  true  form  of  the  city  proper  was  a  perfect  square, 
but  extensive  suburbs,  to  the  north  and  south,  gave  it 
somewhat  of  an  oval  appearance. 

The  great  freight  depots  and  manufactories  for  the 
heavier  classes  of  goods,  as  well  as  the  plants  for  furnish- 
ing water,  electricity,  heat  and  other  necessities  of  the 
city,  were  located  in  the  northern  suburbs,  while  the  pas- 
senger depots  and  manufactories  for  the  lighter  and 
cleaner  classes  of  goods  were  situated  in  the  southern. 
Both  suburbs,  however,  were  connected  with  the  great 
trunk  lines  of  railroad  running  in  all  directions  from  the 
city.  The  manufactories  and  business  houses  in  them, 
though  not  lofty,  were  large  and  comfortable,  and  every- 
thing around  them  was  kept  scrupulously  neat  and  clean. 

The  employes  nearly  all  lived  in  the  city  proper, 
going  to  and  returning  from  their  labors  night  and  morn- 
ing in  vehicles  driven  by  electricity. 

These  suburbs,  though  a  part  of  the  city  and  under 
the  same  general  government  as  the  rest  of  it,  were  di- 
vided from  it  by  a  boulevard  two  hundred  feet  wide, 
which  encompassed  it  on  its  four  sides.  They  are  not 
therefore  included  in  the  description  which  I  shall  now 
give,  with  the  aid  of  the  accompanying  diagram,  of  the 
city  proper. 

A  great  square,  each  side  facing  a  cardinal  point  of 
the  compass  and  measuring  twelve  hundred  feet  in  length, 
formed  the  center  of  the  city.  This  contained  about  thirty 
acres  and  was  called  the  Administration  Square.  An  ave- 
nue two  hundred  feet  wide,  known  as  the  Administration 
Boulevard,  extended  around  this  square.  It  was  divided 
lengthwise  in  the  center,  except  where  the  other  boule- 
vards hereafter  mentioned  entered  it,  by  an  ornamental 
strip  ten  feet  wide,  in  which  grew  trees,  shrubbery,  vines, 
and  flowers  of  great  variety  and  beauty. 


Neuropolis 


21 


From  the  outer  sides  of  this  Administration  Boule- 
vard, eight  other  boulevards,  each  two  hundred  feet  wide, 
extended  through  the  city,  connecting  with  that  sur- 
rounding it  at  its  outer  limits.  Four  of  these  ran  diagon- 
ally from  the  angles  of  the  Administration  Boulevard  to 


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the  corresponding  angles  of  the  outer  boulevard,  and 
were  named  respectively  the  Northeast,  Northwest, 
Southwest  and  Southeast  Boulevards.  They  divided  the 
city  into  four  great  cantonments. 

Of  the  others,  one  began  at  the  center  of  each  side 
of  the  Administration  Boulevard,  and  extended  at  right 
angles  to  it,  bisecting  the  cantonment  and  terminating 
also  in  the  outer  Boulevard,  and  these  four  were  called 


22  John  Harvey 

Cardinal  Boulevards,  and  distinguished  by  the  points  of 
the  compass  to  Which  they  ran. 

The  remainder  of  the  city  was  traversed  by  streets 
one  hundred  feet  wide,  which  formed  blocks  seven  hun- 
dred feet  in  length  and  three  hundred  feet  in  width,  the 
long  sides  of  the  blocks  being  parallel  with  the  sides  of 
the  Administration  Boulevard  next  them. 

On  each  cardinal  boulevard,  midway  through  the 
cantonment  it  traversed,  four  blocks  were  occupied  by 
the  public  buildings  and  grounds  of  the  cantonment. 

On  the  diagonal  boulevards,  at  the  same  distance 
from  the  Administration  Square,  four  other  blocks  were 
devoted  to  public  parks  containing  nearly  fifteen  acres 
each,  and  at  the  intersecting  of  these  boulevards  with  the 
outer  one  were  similar  parks  of  double  the  acreage. 

Where  blocks  were  bisected  elsewhere  by  these  diag- 
onal boulevards  the  dwellings  faced  them,  and  the  parts 
of  the  blocks  too  narrow  for  building  were  thrown  into 
parks  and  set  with  trees,  flowers,  grass  and  shrubbery, 
and  also  beautified  by  fountains  and  statuary. 

In  the  other  residence  portions  the  dwellings  faced 
the  streets  on  the  long  sides  of  the  blocks,  the  lots  ex- 
tending to  the  center  of  the  block. 

Such  was  the  general  topography  of  the  city — the 
architectural  character  of  its  public  buildings  and  pri- 
vate residences,  and  the  adornments  of  the  grounds  about 
them,  all  of  which  had  made  it  celebrated,  remain  to  be 
described. 

In  the  center  of  the  Administration  Square  the  mas- 
sive Administration  Building,  six  hundred  feet  in  length 
and  the  same  in  breadth,  rose  to  a  height  of  two  hundred 
and  fifty  feet,  while  its  great  dome  towered  above  it  one 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  higher.  It  was  constructed  of  pure 
white  marble,  with  pillars  of  polished  granite,  and  the 


Neitrofolis  23 

whole  building  was  adorned  with  carving  and  statuary 
in  the  simplest  and  yet  most  exquisite  taste,  and  was 
grand  in  general  effect,  and  beautiful  in  detail,  beyond  de- 
scription. 

The  buildings  facing  the  Administration  Square  on 
the  opposite  sides  of  the  boulevards  were  also  lofty  and 
imposing,  each  with  its  grounds  occupying  an  entire 
block,  but  all  so  planned  and  arranged  as  to  form  with 
the  Administration  Building  a  homogeneous  and  most 
attractive  center  piece  of  architectural  beauty.  They  were 
constructed  of  gray  granite,  their  adornments  being  of 
white  marble.  The  two  on  the  north  were  occupied  by 
the  municipal  government,  those  on  the  east  and  west 
by  great  universities  and  academies,  and  those  on  the 
south  by  a  theater,  and  an  opera  house,  each  of  immense 
size. 

The  tiers  of  blocks  immediately  outside  those  on 
which  these  structures  stood  were  occupied  by  other  pub- 
lic buildings,  such  as  hotels,  auditoriums  and  schools,  uni- 
versities and  theaters  of  smaller  size,  and  then  succeeded 
the  residence  portions  of  the  city. 

Where  the  diagonal  boulevards  cut  through  the  tier 
of  large  or  double  blocks  surrounding  the  Administra- 
tion Square,  eight  triangular  parks  were  formed,  being 
extensions  of  that  tier,  which  were  nearly  eight  hundred 
feet  long  on  the  sides  facing  the  boulevards  and  six  hun- 
dred on  those  facing  the  streets. 

These  were  given  up  wholly  to  adornment,  being 
covered  with  grass  and  low  shrubbery,  with  a  few  tall 
trees  near  the  acute  angles.  About  three  hundred  feet 
from  these  angles,  in  each  of  the  parks,  a  singular  struc- 
ture, extended  parallel  with  the  boulevard.  In  shape  this 
resembled  a  great  vase,  rising  from  an  immense  foot, 
with  a  gradual  and  graceful  sweep  first  inward  and  then 


24  John  Harvey 

outward  until  at  its  largest  dimensions  it  was  fully  two 
hundred  feet  long  by  fifty  feet  wide,  and  at  the  height  of 
forty  feet  its  curved  and  fluted  edges  overhung  its  sides 
at  least  fifteen  feet  and  its  ends  fully  twenty-five  feet.  It 
was  composed  apparently  of  some  metal  of  the  purest 
white,  and  from  the  summit  of  its  arched  upper  surface 
down  to  its  very  edge  it  was  covered  with  the  densest 
luxuriance  of  small  trees,  fronds  of  palms,  flowers  of  all 
kinds  and  hues,  and  moss,  and  creeping  and  trailing  plants 
and  vines,  of  beauty  and  variety  indescribable,  which  lent 
color  and  shed  fragrance  all  around. 

These  vases  gave  wonderful  attractiveness  to  this 
portion  of  the  city,  and  being  situated  near  the  entrance 
to  the  great  central  Administration  Square,  formed  a  fit 
prelude  to  the  grander  beauty  of  its  grounds  and  build- 
ings. 

They  were  used  also  as  receptacles  of  water  for  irri- 
gation, and  their  tops  being  arched  over  and  covered 
with  earth,  the  vegetation  grew  luxuriantly  on  them. 

The  buildings  of  the  cantonments,  grouped  around 
the  blocks,  reserved  for  that  purpose  on  the  cardinal 
boulevards,  comprised  houses  of  worship,  public  schools, 
halls  for  public  assemblies,  places  of  amusement,  hotels 
and  eating-houses,  great  stores,  electric  plants,  and  such 
other  buildings  as  were  necessary  for  the  wants  of  the 
citizens. 

These  structures  were  not  composed  of  as  costly 
materials,  nor  were  they  so  great  and  lofty  as  the  build- 
ings around  the  Administration  Square,  but  were  more  in 
keeping  with  the  quiet  repose  of  the  residence  quarters 
of  which  they  formed  the  center.  They  were,  however, 
such  as  would  have  graced  and  adorned  any  European 
city.     All  the  streets  and  boulevards  were  paved  with 


Neuro  polls  25 

asphalt,  and  all  except  the  Administration  Boulevard 
were  beautifully  parked,  and  s'haded  by  trees. 

Stone  sidewalks  were  laid  throughout  the  city,  vary- 
ing in  width  from  six  feet  in  the  residence  districts,  to 
twenty  feet  on  the  Administration  Boulevard. 

Great  conduits,  in  which  a  man  could  easily  walk  up- 
right, were  constructed  beneath  the  boulevards,  through 
which  the  main  drains,  pipes  and  sewers  extended;  on 
the  other  streets  these  were  placed  under  the  sidewalks. 

All  irrigation  was  performed  by  means  of  pipes  laid 
beneath  the  surface  of  the  ground. 

In  the  residence  portions  of  the  city  the  dwellings 
were  constructed  mainly  of  brick  of  divers  colors,  white, 
ochre  and  red  being  prominent,  and  were  generally 
trimmed  with  stone. 

The  lack  of  ostentatious  display  among  them  was  a 
noticeable  feature.  There  were  no  poor  ones;  there  were 
no  costly  ones.  There  were  no  unsightly  houses,  and  no 
palatial  abodes;  'all  were  comfortable,  refined  and  pic- 
turesque in  appearance.  Each  dwelling  was  set  back  from 
the  street  a  distance  of  not  less  than  thirty  feet,  and  the  lot 
on  which  it  stood  was  at  lea9t  forty  feet  wide;  this  frontage 
being  devoted  to  greensward,  trees,  shrubs,  paths  and 
flowers,  and  there  were  no  division  fences. 

Harmony  in  color,  architecture  and  design  was  won- 
derfully maintained  in  the  character  of  all  the  buildings; 
no  edifice  being  constructed  until  its  situation  and  de- 
tailed plans  were  considered  and  approved  by  a  commis- 
sion skilled  in  such  work  and  acquainted  with  the  general 
scheme  for  the  extension  and  building  up  of  the  city. 

Fitness,  variety  and  taste  were  displayed  not  in  any 
one  particular,  or  locality,  but  everywhere;  the  evident 
intention  being  to  make  no  spot  in  the  residence  portion 


26  John  Harvey 

of  the  city  conspicuous  by  unusual  expenditure,  but  the 
whole  a  perfect  picture. 

In  all  public  buildings  and  improvements  the  most 
magnificent  erections,  the  utmost  permanence,  the  cost- 
liest materials,  often  the  most  elaborate  adornments,  were 
employed;  in  the  residence  portion  adaptibility,  beauty, 
and  symmetry  of  a  quieter  order  reigned  supreme. 

I  thought  the  city  very  beautiful,  surpassing  even  the 
most  enthusiastic  descriptions  given  me  of  it. 

Its  people  seemed  contented  and  happy.  I  saw  no 
drunkenness,  observed  no  rudeness,  heard  no  bad  lan- 
guage among  them,  and  looked  upon  fewer  careworn 
faces  than  in  any  place  I  had  ever  visited. 

During  the  day  the  middle-aged  of  both  sexes 
monopolized  the  streets,  but  in  the  evening  the  younger 
people  seemed  to  possess  them.  The  broad  sidewalks  and 
all  the  parks  were  full  of  them;  the  spacious  boulevards 
were  like  'beehives  with  the  hum  of  their  young  voices, 
and  they  crowded  the  theaters,  the  opera,  the  libraries, 
and  the  lyceums. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE     OPERA. 

The  places  of  amusement  in  the  various  cantonments 
were  well  arranged  and  locally  well  patronized,  but  the 
great  theater  and  the  opera  house  on  the  southern  side  of 
the  Administration  Square  were  the  largest,  most  com- 
modious, and  elegant  I  had  ever  seen.  In  these,  perform- 
ances are  often  given  by  the  most  celebrated  European 
and  American  actors  and  vocalists. 

Not  many  days  after  my  arrival  in  the  city,  a  musical 
entertainment  was  advertised  for  the  grand  opera  house, 
which  I  resolved  to  attend. 

The  prima  donna  was  one  of  Europe's  most  cele- 
brated singers.  I  'had  often  heard  'her,  with  delight,  in 
Continental  cities  in  former  years  and  she  was  a  favorite 
of  mine;  in  fact,  I  had  had  in  those  years  some  acquaint- 
ance with  her. 

Desiring  to  present  her  with  a  token  of  the  presence 
of  a  friend  from  abroad  and  knowing  her  favorite  flowers, 
rare  ones,  I  determined  if  possible  to  procure  some  of 
them. 

On  the  afternoon  preceding  the  opera  I  hunted  the 
city  over  for  these  particular  flowers  and  finally  discovered 
a  few  of  them  in  some  beautiful  bouquets  in  the  southern 
cantonment.  I  purchased  one  of  these  and  that  evening 
took  it  with  me  to  the  opera,  intending  on  the  first  fitting 
opportunity  to  bestow  it  surreptitiously  upon  my  former 
acquaintance,  the  prima  donna,  and  enjoy  her  attempts  to 
solve  the  mystery  of  the  donor. 

27 


28  John  Harvey 

But  fortune  seemed  unfavorable  to  my  undertaking. 
On  looking  at  my  program  I  found  it  stated  that,  owing 
to  a  severe  cold  and  consequent  hoarseness,  the  prima 
donna  would  be  una'ble  to  sing  on  this  the  first  night  of  her 
engagement,  and  that  her  place  would  be  filled  by 
Clothilde  Beyresen. 

My  feelings,  of  course,  were  those  of  disappointment, 
and  my  first  impulse  was  to  leave  the  house,  but  it  was 
difficult  to  do  so  without  attracting  observation.  Besides, 
the  company  was  a  strong  one  and  much  good  music 
might  be  expected,  so  I  remained. 

The  performance  began  and  several  selections  were 
sung  by  members  of  the  company ;  the  next  one,  the  pro- 
gram stated,  would  be  rendered  by  the  substitute. 

Very  unusual  interest  seemed  to  be  taken  in  her  ap- 
pearance; the  gentlemen  straightened  themselves  in  their 
seats,  ladies  prepared  their  opera  glasses,  and  I,  familiar 
with  the  meaning  of  such  movements,  supposed  that  some 
well-known  amateur,  for  whose  success  all  felt  anxious, 
was  about  to  attempt  the  masterpieces  of  the  great  prima 
donna. 

I  was  little  prepared  for  what  followed. 

From  the  right  wing  of  the  stage  entered,  alone  and 
unattended,  and  with  all  the  self-possession,  grace,  and 
dignity  of  the  most  accomplished  leader  of  the  opera,  a 
lady,  tall,  beautiful,  and  stately.  Her  complexion  was  olive 
and  very  clear,  such  as  one  sometimes  sees  in  the  south  of 
Spain,  so  pure  as  to  show  the  red  blood  in  the  cheeks  and 
in  the  lips  at  the  slightest  emotion.  Her  eyes  were  dark 
hazel  and  extremely  brilliant,  her 'hair  and  eyebrows  black, 
the  latter  beautifully  curved,  the  nose  straight,  the  mouth 
and  chin  exquisitely  moulded  and  the  figure  willowy  and 
graceful. 

As  she  moved  across  the  stage  to  the  footlights  an  in- 


The  Opera  29 

stantaneous  clapping  of  hands  and  waving  of  hand- 
kerchiefs began  in  the  whole  house,  and  was  continued 
many  seconds  after  she  'had  reached  her  place,  and  only 
ceased  upon  her  repeated  acknowledgments. 

Her  >manner  and  appearance  at  once  attracted  my 
undivided  attention. 

After  a  slight  pause  she  began  to  sing.  It  was  Eliza- 
beth's Prayer  from  "Tannhauser." 

My  wonder  and  astonishment  were  at  once  awakened, 
and  increased  as  her  performance  continued.  I  leaned 
forward  and,  with  a  passion  almost  of  entrancement, 
caught  each  pure  note  as  it  fell  from  her  lips  and  filled 
the  'house. 

I  had  heard  the  trained  vocalists  of  Europe,  but  never 
among  them  all  a  voice  of  such  compass,  purity,  and 
strength,  and  such  sweetness  of  tone  and  delicacy  of  ex- 
pression. Then  the  entire  self-possession  of  the  singer, 
or  rather  her  utter  self-abnegation,  was  so  evident.  She 
seemed  unconscious  of  the  effect  produced;  s'he  made  no 
effort  to  produce  it.  She  appeared  wrapt  and  absorbed  in 
the  words  and  sentiment  of  the  music.  S'he  might  have 
been  singing  in  a  drawing-room  to  a  few  intimate  friends, 
so  simple  and  natural  was  her  manner.  Indeed,  so  grace- 
ful, so  charming,  so  completely  in  control  of  herself  and 
her  hearers  was  s'he,  that  she  seemed  in  a  few  moments  to 
have  converted  the  great  audience  into  a  circle  of  such 
friends. 

She  sang  the  difficult  piece  throughout  in  this  man- 
ner, stood  for  a  moment,  apparently  hesitating,  then 
bowed  her  adieu  and  disappeared.  In  an  instant  the  thea- 
ter resounded  wMi  the  clapping  of  hands,  the  calls  for 
encore. 

After  this  had  continued  some  little  time,  she  reap- 
peared, and  sang  "Das  Veilchen,"  with  the  same  ease, 


30  John  Harvey 

grace,  and  charm,  and  then  again  retired  and  would  not 
respond  to  a  second  encore. 

The  program  announced  her  as  reappearing  in  one 
other  selection  only,  which  was  the  closing  piece  of  the 
opera.  I  thought  of  my  neglected  bouquet,  and  resolved 
to  bestow  it  upon  the  gifted  singer. 

On  her  re-entry  she  was  greeted  with  a  furor,  which 
showed  her  to  be  well  known  and  a  favorite. 

The  piece  was  Mozart's  "Non  Paventar."  It  pre- 
sented no  embarrassments  to  that  peerless  voice.  There 
was  not  a  single  quavering,  or  false,  or  imperfect  note; 
with  the  same  finished  style  and  consummate  grace  and 
ease  she  sang  the  piece  to  its  conclusion. 

Several  floral  offerings  were  'handed  her,  costly  and 
elegant,  but  thinking  not  of  its  meagerness,  I  drew  mine 
from  its  covering  and  lightly  tossed  it  on  the  stage. 

The  action  caught  her  eye  and  she  lifted  it  from  the 
floor,  shot  one  swift  glance  toward  myself,  whom  she  evi- 
dently recognized  as  the  donor,  and  hurried  from  the 
stage,  holding  my  bouquet  in  her  hand. 

A  storm  of  encores  succeeded"  and  the  audience,  in- 
stead of  departing,  remained  seated,  though  the  curtain 
had  descended. 

They  were  not  yet  satisfied,  and  in  answer  to  their 
calls  the  curtain  again  rose  and  the  manager  came  for- 
ward on  the  stage.  He  announced  that  Miss  Beyresen 
would  sing  the  national  anthem  unaccompanied,  and  the 
audience  and  the  orchestra  were  requested  to  join  in  the 
refrain,  after  which  the  performance  would  close. 

Perfect  silence  settled  over  the  theater,  and  a  mo- 
ment later  Miss  Beyresen  entered.  She  had  changed  her 
costume  entirely.  The  one  she  now  wore  was  pale  orange, 
with  white  trimmings.    If  possible  she  looked  more  beau- 


The  Opera  .    31 

tiful  than  before,  and  I  perceived  she  was  younger  than  I 
had  supposed,  probably  not  over  twenty-four. 

She  was  received  in  silence.  As  she  turned  and  faced 
the  audience,  I  saw  flowers  upon  her  breast,  a  few  sprays 
only,  the  same  ones  that  had  been  in  my  bouquet;  the 
same  wiry  stems,  with  seven  blossoms,  for  I  had  counted 
tlhem  casually,  the  number  seemed  so  small.  She  had 
pulled  the  bouquet  apart  evidently,  and  had  chosen  these 
flowers  for  some  reason  known  only  to  herself. 

She  gave  no 'heed  to  me,  however;  never  once  glanc- 
ing in  my  direction.  Her  eyes  swept  over  the  house  as 
she  moved  to  the  footlights ;  there  was  a  clash  of  cymbals 
and  she  began  the  anthem. 

Its  prelude  was  an  invocation  to  Deity,  imploring 
wisdom,  guidance,  and  assistance  for  the  nation;  then  fol- 
lowed a  call  to  battle,  to  battle  for  the  right;  eac'h  stanza 
ending  with  a  refrain,  an  appeal  to  God  to  hear  the  prayer, 
to  judge  the  cause,  and  award  the  victory. 

As  with  clasped  hands  and  upturned  face  the  singer 
raised  her  voice  in  pure,  sweet  notes  addre&sed  to  heaven, 
a  reverential  feeling  like  that  of  solemn  worship  stole  upon 
the  audience,  and  they  united  with  subdued  voices  in  the 
refrain. 

When,  'however,  this  concluded,  the  singer  changed 
her  -attitude;  'her  whole  being  seemed  transformed,  her 
eyes  flashed,  and  as  her  rich  tones  filled  the  house,  calling 
everyone  to  conflict,  all  her  strength  and  action  seemed 
concentrated  in  the  effort,  and  an  electric  thrill  of  sym- 
pathy pervaded  the  great  audience.  At  the  termination  of 
each  stanza  they  'burst  into  the  refrain,  and  six  thousand 
voices  rang  out  clear  and  loud  in  its  response ;  while  upon 
the  stage  tihe  singer  stood,  graceful  in  every  movement, 
an  acknowledged  leader,  her  glorious  voice  rising  clear 
and  strong  above  the  rest. 


32  John  Harvey 

The  anthem  continued  with  varying  expression,  the 
audience  becoming  more  and  more  affected,  the  singer 
never  hesitating,  always  self-possessed,  graceful,  and 
womanly  in  the  Whirlwind  of  passion  which  now  filled 
the  house. 

The  last  stanza  was  reached.  It  expressed  triumph 
in  victory  won,  and  a  solemn  promise  of  endurance  to  the 
end,  in  which  the  refrain  joined. 

There  the  scene  reached  its  climax.  The  audience 
rose  to  their  feet  and  with  eyes  uplifted,  as  were  those 
of  their  leader,  poured  out  their  souls  in  the  final  earnest 
pledge  to  renewed  endeavor  and  continued  trust. 

The  performance  was  over,  but  it  left  me  with  a 
feeling  of  great  interest  in  the  charming  singer,  which 
was  enhanced  by  the  disposition  she  had  so  summarily 
made  of  my  flowers.  I  imagined  her  to  be  a  person  of  at 
least  national  celebrity  in  the  United  States. 

I  inquired  about  her,  and  learned  to  my  chagrin 
that  she  was  a  teacher  of  music  in  one  of  the  great  uni- 
versities; that  although  so  wonderfully  gifted  that  her 
name  was  sufficient  at  any  time  to  fill  the  great  opera 
house,  yet  she  did  not  often  sing  in  public,  and  that  she 
had  acquired  the  cognomen  of  "The  Princess"  by  her 
beauty,  her  grace,  her  marvelous  voice  and  other  accom- 
plishments. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

OTHER  INCIDENTS. 

Already  in  my  short  experience  in  this  city  I  had 
observed  many  unusual  and  unprecedented  business 
methods. 

At  the  great  hotel  at  which  I  lodged  and  a  few 
other  places,  where  special  arrangements  had  been  made 
for  the  convenience  of  strangers,  money  was  received  in 
payment  for  things  procured,  but  except  in  these  I  could 
buy  nothing  as  in  other  cities.  My  drafts  from  abroad 
were  cashed,  not  at  a  bank,  for  there  were  no  banks,  but 
at  the  treasury  department  in  the  Administration  Build- 
ing. 

Very  soon  after  my  arrival  one  of  the  clerks  at  the 
hotel  explained  to  me  that  no  such  thing  as  money  in 
the  common  acceptation  of  the  word  was  used  among 
the  people;  that  only  certain  persons  entrusted  with  du- 
ties of  a  public  nature  were  allowed  to  take  it,  and  all 
thus  received  was  turned  into  the  general  treasury.  He 
advised  me  to  buy  a  stranger's  ticket,  which  he  said 
would  be  accepted  as  current  everywhere  in  the  Na- 
tionality. I  did  so  and  found  that  each  person  with  whom 
I  had  dealings  took  the  ticket  and  punched  the  proper 
amount  from  it.  When  the  figures  on  it  were  all  thus 
used  I  procured  another  in  a  similar  way. 

I  observed  also  a  great  difference  in  character  and 
demeanor  between  the  employes  in  this  and  those  in 
other  cities.  They  seemed  younger,  stronger,  and  in  bet- 
ter health,  and  were  far  more  affable,  courteous,  and  ac- 

33 


34  John  Harvey 

commodating,  though  with  none  of  the  obsequiousness 
which  frequently  characterizes  such  people  in  other 
places.  Their  intelligence  and  culture  were  often  of  a 
high  order,  and  I  soon  found,  especially  among  the 
younger  persons,  that  the  employment  in  which  one  was 
engaged  was  no  safe  index  to  his  or  her  character  or  at- 
tainments. 

The  causes  of  these  peculiarities  I  shall  not  dwell 
upon  here,  but  will  only  say  that  before  I  had  been  long 
in  the  city  I  learned  that  all  labor  was  esteemed  honor- 
able; that  idleness  was  considered  a  disgrace,  and  that  up 
to  a  certain  age  the  younger  members  of  the  community 
were  required  to  perform  any  work  assigned  them. 

While  visiting  one  of  the  hospitals  situated  several 
miles  out  of  the  city  I  had  become  interested  in  a  young 
Irishman,  comparatively  a  stranger  like  myself  in  this 
land,  who  had  met  with  an  accident  which  it  was  almost 
certain  would  in  a  few  days  terminate  fatally.  I  went 
again  to  see  him  and  remained  some  time  ministering  to 
his  mental  comfort  as  best  I  could.  I  had  left  him,  and 
was  standing  outside  his  compartment,  preparing  to  re- 
turn home,  when  I  heard  the  sound  of  low,  sweet  singing, 
coming  from  a  room  in  the  next  ward,  but  a  few  steps 
distant.  The  words  were  those  of  a  well-known  hymn, 
and  the  voice  seemed  familiar  to  me,  and  was  full,  rich, 
and  most  melodious  and  sympathetic. 

I  stood  quietly  listening  till  the  conclusion,  when  a 
black-robed  Sister  of  Mercy  approached  and  addressed 
me  thus:  "You  are  a  stranger  to  me,  sir,  but  I  know  you 
have  been  obeying  the  Lord's  command  to  care  for  the 
sick.  He  whom  you  have  been  visiting  has  told  me  of 
your  kindness,  and  he  will  soon  tell  it  to  the  Master,  who 
has  said  that  whatsoever  service  ye  do  unto  such,  ye  do 
unto  Him." 


Other  Incidents  .    35 

Looking  toward  the  adjoining  room  I  remarked:  "I 
am  not  the  only  visitor  you  have  to-day." 

"Ah,"  she  said,  "you  heard  the  hymn  in  yon  apart- 
ment. There  is  a  woman  there  who  is  dying  of  an  incur- 
able disease,  and  another  woman  was  singing  to  her. 
You  recognized  her  voice  probably." 

"I  am  a  stranger  in  your  city,"  I  replied,  "and  did  not 
recognize  it." 

"It  is  the  Princess  Clothilde,"  she  said.  "God  has 
given  her  wonderful  gifts,  and  she  comes  here  often  to 
comfort  the  sick  or  dying.  Such  music  is  a  great  relief 
to  them ;  it  lifts  them  above  their  sufferings." 

She  went  her  way,  and  I  remained  standing  in  the 
background.  A  moment  later  the  princess  came  out  and 
1  saw  her  face  distinctly,  though  she  did  not  see  me.  It 
was  the  face  of  the  singer  at  the  opera,  and  yet  it  was 
not  the  same  face ;  it  was  more  the  face  of  a  Saint  Cecilia. 
She  remained  but  a  short  time  talking  to  some  of  the  at- 
tendants, and  then  passed  out,  and  I  did  so  also,  but  in  a 
different  direction. 

I  returned  to  my  hotel,  and  as  I  stood  upon  the  side- 
walk I  looked  over  toward  the  Administration  Building, 
whose  great  dome  was  lit  up  by  the  slanting  rays  of  the 
sun,  now  fast  setting  behind  the  western  mountains,  and 
my  eye,  traveling  upward  to  its  summit,  rested  on  an  ob- 
ject distinctly  visible  there  which  thrilled  me. 

It  was  the  face  and  figure  of  John  Harvey,  the  same 
face  and  the  same  figure,  though  in  a  different  attitude, 
that  I  had  seen  on  the  summit  of  Pike's  Peak;  clad  in  the 
same  way,  the  cocked  hat  being  now  on  his  head.  The 
face  was  turned  toward  the  east;  the  attitude  was  erect 
and  strong;  the  left  hand  fell  by  the  side,  but  the  right 
rested  on  the  pommel  of  a  naked  sword  set  before  him, 


36  John  Harvey 

whose  sheen  I  could  distinguish  clearly  and  whose  point 
was  planted  firmly  on  the  dome. 

I  had  known  John  Harvey  in  life  as  one  who  had 
wrought  swift  and  terrible  destruction  among  my  own 
countrymen,  and  who  had  levied  tribute  upon  them  al- 
most like  a  freebooter  and  a  pirate,  and  now,  thought  I,  so 
strong  is  the  passion  for  military  success  and  leadership, 
that  such  acts,  coupled  with  the  fact  that  he  once  lived 
in  this  land  and  aided  somewhat  in  the  establishment  of 
this  commonwealth,  have  secured  him  the  honor  of  a 
statue  on  the  very  summit  of  yon  noble,  grand,  and  beau- 
tiful building. 

I  looked  no  longer,  but  with  a  feeling  almost  of  dis- 
gust entered  the  hotel  and  engaged  in  conversation  with 
some  of  its  guests  with  whom  I  had  formed  a  casual  ac- 
quaintance. Among  these  was  a  gentleman  of  leisure, 
who,  having  learned  that  I  wished  to  gain  a  comprehens- 
ive knowledge  of  the  history,  laws  and  labor  regulations 
of  the  Nationality,  had  promised  to  introduce  me  to  one 
of  the  councilors,  or  members  of  parliament,  to  whom  I 
could  present  my  letters  of  recommendation  and  make 
known  my  wishes  in  the  hope  of  obtaining  the  desired 
information. 

This  gentleman  now  told  me  that  he  had  spoken  to 
the  Councilor  on  the  subject  and  that  the  morrow  was 
the  dav  set  for  the  formal  introduction. 

At  the  time  appointed  we  walked  together  to  the 
Administration  Building,  and  on  the  way  my  casual  friend 
informed  me  the  Councilor  was  Mr.  Beyresen.  This 
statement  caused  me  some  astonishment,  for  the  name 
was  the  same  as  that  of  the  accomplished  singer,  whom 
I  had  already  seen  twice,  and  who  had  engrossed,  espe- 
cially since  the  day  previous,  more  of  my  thoughts  than 
I  cared  to  acknowledge.     My  reflections  on  the  matter 


Other  Incidents  37 

were,  however,  cut  short,  for  a  moment  later  my  friend 
introduced  me  to  Mr.  Beyresen,  who  was  a  short,  stout, 
active  gentleman  of  about  sixty  years  of  age,  fatherly 
and  pleasant  in  manner  and  ripe  in  experience  of  men  and 
affairs.  He  had  been  engaged  much  of  his  life  in  various 
matters  connected  with  the  Nationality,  in  which  he  had 
held  positions  of  high  control,  and  was  well  informed  on 
all  subjects  relating  to  it. 

I  presented  my  testimonials,  which  he  read  with  care 
and  then  received  me  with  much  cordiality.  Though  my 
interview  with  him  at  this  time  was  not  lengthy,  yet  he 
was  so  genial  and  took  so  much  interest  in  giving  me  the 
information  I  desired  that  I  soon  came  to  look  upon  him 
as  a  trusted  friend,  which  he  in  truth  proved  himself  to 
be,  and  an  intimacy  was  thus  formed  which  became  closer 
and  closer,  and  lasted  during  the  remainder  of  his  life. 

I  learned  from  him  the  general  principles  upon  which 
the  Nationality  was  organized,  and  the  chief  laws  and 
regulations  governing  its  people.  At  an  early  date  in  our 
acquaintance  I  secured  from  Air.  Beyresen  a  written  state- 
ment of  these,  which  I  shall  present  to  my  readers  in  the 
next  chapter,  leaving  minuter  details  to  be  explained  later, 
if  necessary. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE    NATIONALITY,   ITS  PRINCIPLES,     OBJECTS,     AND  ORGANI- 
ZATION. 

Nearly  all  governments  claim  to  be  organized  for 
the  good  of  their  people;  their  histories,  however,  show 
that,  to  a  greater  or  less  extent,  they  have  universally 
failed  to  accomplish  this  object. 

These  failures  have  been  caused  mainly  by  two  great 
and  dominant  passions — the  love  of  power,  place,  and 
dominion,  commonly  called  ambition,  and  the  love  of 
money  and  accumulation. 

These  have  led  the  officers  of  government,  or  the 
people  themselves,  or  both  together,  to  lose  sight  of  the 
true  end  or  aim  of  government  above  stated. 

Both  these  passions  have  been  perverted,  but  the 
germ  of  the  first  is  lofty,  and  can  produce  good  fruit; 
that  of  the  latter  is  base  and  sordid. 

This  Nationality,  or  State,  by  either  of  which  titles 
it  may  be  properly  designated,  contemplates  a  more  def- 
inite and  individualized  object  than  that  of  other  gov- 
ernments. 

It  is  an  organization  of  the  people,  for  working  in 
co-operation  for  the  equal  good  of  all.  It  acts  through 
officers  and  agents  chosen,  not  for  political  reasons,  but 
for  their  fitness,  skill,  and  ability  in  planning,  directing 
and  executing  that  which  is  necessary  to  be  done  to  effect 
its  object. 

It  recognizes  the  power  of  the  two  passions  referred 
to,  and  aims  to  change,  among  its  officers  and  people,  the 

38 


Principles  and  Objects  of  Nationality  39 

direction  of  the  former,  and  to  utterly  destroy  the  latter. 
It  fosters  the  noble  ambition  to  be  among  the  first, 
wisest  and  most  active  in  advancing  the  general  happi- 
ness and  good,  and  teaches  its  citizens  to  encourage  such 
endeavor  by  bestowing  honor,  power,  and  place  upon 
those  who  display  these  virtues. 

It  destroys  the  passion  for  money  and  accumulation 
by  instituting  a  system  which  relegates  money  to  its 
proper  function  of  a  mere  medium  of  exchange  of  values, 
and  interposes  insuperable  barriers  to  accumulation.  It 
does  this  by  adopting  the  following  fundamental  prin- 
ciples: 

That  money,  debt,  interest  and  accumulation  shall 
be  unknown  to  the  citizen;  all  moneys  received  from  other 
states,  or  their  citizens,  or  in  any  other  way,  being  turned 
into  the  state  treasury,  and  that  all  business  dealings  with 
such  other  states,  or  their  citizens,  shall  be  conducted 
solely  by  the  Nationality,  or  under  its  prescribed  rules 
and  regulations. 

That  the  Nationality,  state,  or  people  organized,  shall 
have  the  absolute  title  to  all  property  within  its  borders, 
and  control  the  same,  subject  to  wise,  equitable,  and  well- 
known  and  established  rules  in  regard  to  its  use  by  the 
citizen  for  a  limited  period,  not  exceeding  his  natural  life. 
By  enfranchising  its  citizens  from  this  one  passion 
for  money  and  accumulation  it  delivers  them  from  a  host 
of  attendant  evils,  and  clears  away  the  debris  of  former 
systems  of  government. 

To  occupy  the  ground  thus  prepared,  the  Nationality 
lays  the  foundation  of  its  own  government  upon  certain 
other  principles  consonant  with  those  of  justice,  which 
define  generally  the  mutual  duties  and  obligations  of  the 
state  to  the  individual  citizen,  and  in  turn  of  the  latter  to 
the  state,  and  which  are  these : 


40  John  Harvey 

That  the  Nationality,  or  state,  shall  care  equally  and 
impartially  for  all  its  citizens,  supplying  them  during  life 
with  equal  opportunities  and  means  for  obtaining  all  that 
is  necessary  for  their  physical,  mental,  and  moral  wants, 
and  for  gratifying  all  innocent  tastes  and  amusements. 

This  duty  may  be  stated  more  specifically  as  fol- 
lows : 

It  must  provide  its  citizens,  required  to  work,  with 
constant  employment;  planned  and  systematically  ar- 
ranged by  its  skilled  officers,  and  directed  so  as  to  pro- 
duce the  best  results. 

It  must  see  to  it  that  their  children  be  furnished,  with- 
out individual  cost,  with  all  means  necessary  for  the  best 
instruction,  physical,  mental,  and  moral,  which  its  re- 
sources can  command,  and  that  such  means  are  used  dili- 
gently, individual  tastes  and  aptitudes  being  reasonably 
consulted. 

It  must  provide  other  schools,  academies  and  univer- 
sities, where  other  branches  can  be  more  specially  learned 
by  those  willing  to  pay  for  such  instruction. 

It  must  provide  all  things  necessary  for  the  educa- 
tion, livelihood,  advancement,  and  pleasures  of  its  citi- 
zens; those  who  work,  those  incapacitated  for  work,  and 
those  past  the  age  of  compulsory  work. 

In  return  for  this  care,  provision,  and  assurance  for 
his  comfort  and  safety,  each  citizen  must  render  to  the 
Nationality,  or  state,  the  best  labor  or  service  of  which  he 
is  capable,  during  such  years  of  life  as  with  the  massed 
labor  of  its  other  citizens  rendered  for  an  equal  time,  will 
enable  it  to  provide  thus  for  all  its  citizens,  and  meet  any 
incidental  obligations  and  demands  upon  it,  and  lay  up 
sufficient  store  for  unusual  contingencies. 

As  a  correlation  to  the  proper  discharge  of  their  mu- 
tual duties  the  citizens  of  the  Nationality  will,  in  youth 


Principles  and  Objects  of  Nationality  41 

especially,  be  well  instructed;  they  will  be  laborious, 
especially  during  the  years  set  apart  for  labor,  and  at  ease 
afted  those  years  are  past,  and  they  will  always  have  occa- 
sion to  be  happy  in  the  assurance  afforded  them  by  the 
state  that  they  are  safe,  as  far  as  human  care  can  make 
them  so,  from  business  vicissitudes. 

Citizenship  in  the  Nationality  shall  be  attained  by 
males  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  and  females  at  the  age  of 
fifteen. 

To  insure  an  equitable  and  equal  division  among  its 
citizens  of  the  joint  products  of  their  labor,  the  Nation- 
ality shall  provide  a  medium  of  exchange  to  take  the 
place  of  money,  determined  in  aggregate  amount  every 
five  years  by  the  estimated  average  production  of  the 
state,  and  the  number  of  its  people,  which  shall  be  good 
only  for  the  year  in  which  it  is  issued  and  not  trans- 
ferable. 

On  the  first  days  of  January,  April,  July  and  October 
of  every  year,  each  citizen  shall  receive  a  certificate  of  in- 
debtedness, which  shall  during  the  period  above  men- 
tioned be  good,  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  as  was  money 
formerly,  in  payment  for  anything  purchased,  or  for  any 
service  rendered,  or  in  discharge  of  any  due  within  the 
borders  of  the  Nationality. 

These  certificates  shall  be  issued  for  citizens,  and 
the  children  of  citizens  not  exceeding  four  in  number  in 
each  family,  in  yearly  amount,  as  follows,  the  gradation 
in  amount  also  to  be  determined  every  five  years. 

Children  under  eight  years  old $150.00 

Male  child  over  eight  and  under  eighteen 300.00 

Female  child  over  eight  and  under  fifteen 250.00 

Youth,  male  over  eighteen  and  under  twenty- 
one  800.00 

Youth,  female  over  fifteen  and  under  eighteen.  .      600.00 


4.2  John  Harvey 

Man  at  the  age  of  twenty-one 1 ,200.00 

Woman  at  the  age  of  eighteen 1,000.00 

Provided,  however,  that  parents  shall  receive  the 
certificates  of  their  children  under  age,  and  that  guar- 
dians and  conservators  duly  appointed  shall  under  the 
direction  of  the  courts  receive  and  use  the  certificates  of 
their  wards. 

The  citizen  must  not  be  trammeled  in  the  use  of  his 
certificate  further  than  that  he  must  provide  proper  sub- 
sistence for  himself  and  family,  live  morally  and  peace- 
ably, and  perform  his  labor  and  service  as  directed  by  the 
laws  and  regulations  of  the  Nationality. 

Such  were  the  general  principles,  rules  and  regula- 
tions of  this  body. 

Before  quitting  the  subject  I  will  give  a  short  state- 
ment of  the  method  of  its  organization  and  government. 

The  whole  land  is  divided  into  townships,  which  in 
the  cultivated  districts  are  twelve  miles  square,  and  which 
form  the  unit  of  governmental  and  labor  control. 

The  people  live  chiefly  in  towns ;  located,  particularly 
in  the  agricultural  regions,  as  nearly  in  the  center  of  the 
township  as  possible.  These  towns  contain  from  three 
thousand  to  six  thousand  inhabitants,  or  more,  accord- 
ing to  the  fertility  of  the  soil  and  the  number  of  persons 
required  for  its  cultivation,  or  for  other  employments.  All 
male  citizens,  until  the  age  of  forty-five,  and  all  female 
citizens,  until  the  age  of  forty  years,  are  enrolled  as  labor- 
ers. They  work  under  the  direction  of  officers,  chosen 
yearly  by  themselves,  consisting  of  a  director  for  every 
one  hundred,  a  lieutenant  for  every  fifty,  and  a  foreman 
for  every  ten  laborers;  eight  hours  constituting  the  work 
of  a  day,  except  in  certain  kinds  of  onerous  labor,  where 
the  hours  are  less.  The  men  perform  all  the  heavy  work, 
the  women  being  engaged  in  light  employment  within 


Principles  and  Objects  of  Nationality  43 

doors;  those  of  them  who  have  families  caring  for  them 
with  such  assistance  as  is  necessary.    Nearly  all  work  is 
done  in  co-operation,  machinery  being  made  to  do  its 
part  most  advantageously, 
j  Both  sexes,  from  the  age  of  eight  until  the  age  of 

citizenship,  are  required  to  attend  school.  If  they  have 
special  aptitudes  such  are  developed,  and  in  this  period 
they  can  also  learn  trades.  If  higher,  or  professional  edu- 
cation, be  desired  they  can  attend  schools  until  they  reach 
•  the  age  of  citizenship,  their  parents  paying  their  ex- 
penses, and  after  becoming  citizens,  any  can  pursue  their 
studies,  payment  being  made  to  the  Nationality  equal  to 
the  amount  of  the  certificate  which  that  body  would  issue 
for  their  service.  These  payments  are  of  course  made  by 
deductions  from  the  certificates  of  parents  or  others. 

The  state  has  absolute  control  of  the  character  of  la- 
bor, and  the  place  at  which  it  is  rendered,  until  the  male 
citizen  reaches  the  age  of  twenty-four,  at  which  age  he 
may  marry.  The  female  citizens  may  marry  at  the  age  of 
eighteen,  and  remain  with  their  parents  until  that  time, 
or  until  settled  in  some  occupation.  After  marriage,  citi- 
zens may  expect  a  permanent  home  in  some  locality  where 
they  can  render  to  the  state  the  service  for  which  they  are 
best  fitted,  during  the  required  number  of  years.  All  citi- 
zens receive  certificates  during  life,  provided  they  per- 
form such  labor  as  they  are  capable  of  doing,  those  inca- 
pacitated from  any  cause  being   equally  provided  for. 

If  any  who  are  capable  refuse  to  work  they  are  ad- 
monished, and  if  they  prove  incorrigible,  are  put  in  a  class 
by  themselves,  wearing  a  peculiar  uniform,  and  subjected 
to  severe  discipline,  their  certificates  being  withheld  from 
them  and  used  for  the  benefit  of  their  families. 

When  the  years  of  compulsory  service  are  over,  the 
citizen  is  at  liberty  to  enjoy  himself  as  he  chooses,  can 


4.4  John  Harvey 

study,  travel,  or  remain  at  home.  Many  go  to  the  cities 
and  live  there  permanently,  enjoying  for  the  remainder 
of  their  lives  the  comforts,  pleasures,  and  advantages 
there  afforded,  often  continuing  to  serve  the  public  in  va- 
rious capacities. 

The  higher  offices  of  the  Nationality  are  in  many  in- 
stances filled  only  by  those  past  this  age,  and  the  citizen 
who  is  elected  or  appointed  to  such  office  and  accepts  its 
duties  is  expected  to  perform  them  to  the  end  of  his  term. 

A  congressman  is  elected  by  the  people  every  two 
years  in  each  congressional  district  of  the  United  States, 
and  the  councilors  and  representatives  from  each  state 
choose  United  States  senators  at  the  time  appointed  by 
law,  they  themselves  not  being  eligible  to  such  office. 

Sixteen  townships  in  the  Nationality  constitute  a 
district,  controlled  by  a  district  executive,  elected  semi- 
annually by  its  citizens,  who  also  elect  every  four  years 
a  member  of  the  House  of  Representatives  from  among 
those  who  have  served  honorably  a  full  term,  either  as 
labor  directors  or  as  district  executives,  and  have  at- 
tained the  age  of  thirty  years. 

The  Council,  or  Upper  House,  consists  of  not  more 
than  sixty  members;  four  of  whom,  at  least,  shall  be  from 
each  state  of  the  United  States  belonging  to  the  Na- 
tionality. It  is  composed  of  such  persons  as  have  served 
honorably  twelve  years  or  more  as  members  of  either 
house,  and  these  are  called  honorary  councilors,  and 
serve  for  life  or  until  incapacitated.  Any  vacancies  in 
the  number,  however,  can  be  filled  by  election  in  the  state 
having  the  least  number  of  representatives  in  the  Council, 
from  among  those  who  have  served  one  or  more  terms 
as  members  of  either  house,  and  the  person  so  elected 
shall  hold  the  office  for  the  term  of  six  years. 

The  post  of  councilor,  and  especially  that  of  honorary 


Principles  and  Objects  of  Nationality  45 

councilor,  is  regarded  as  of  the  highest  dignity,  and  it 
was  this  position  that  my  friend  Beyresen  held. 

The  Parliament,  or  joint  Houses  of  Legislature,  ap- 
point the  chief  executive,  judges  and  heads  of  the  vari- 
ous departments,  from  among  those  who  have  served 
with  honor  in  other  places  and  have  attained  the  age  of 
forty-five  years,  and  these  serve  until  the  age  of  sixty 
years,  unless  removed  by  the  appointing  power  for  cause. 
Those  thus  appointed  have  authority  to  fill  all  offices  in 
their  respective  departments  not  otherwise  provided  for. 

Such  was  the  general  scheme  of  government  in  the 
Nationality.  There  were  many  minor  rules  and  regula- 
tions to  which  I  will  not  refer,  as  those  I  have  already 
mentioned  will  give  my  reader  sufficient  knowledge  of 
the  form  of  government  adopted  by  this  unique  and  happy 
people. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

CLOTHILDE. 

I  had  been  in  Neuropolis  some  weeks  and  Mr.  Bey- 
resen  had  introduced  me  to  a  number  of  the  councilors 
and  finally  invited  me  to  his  house  to  spend  an  evening 
with  his  family. 

I  gladly  accepted  the  invitation,  for  I  felt  lonely,  and 
besides  desired  to  see  something  of  the  home  life  of  its 
citizens. 

Mr.  Beyresen  lived  in  a  commodious  and  very  pleas- 
ant house  situated  about  a  mile  from  the  Administration 
Building.  His  family  consisted  of  himself,  his  wife,  a 
matronly  lady;  his  daughter  Anna,  a  schoolgirl  of  about 
fourteen,  and  an  elder  daughter,  who  proved  to  be  no 
other  than  the  singer,  Clothilde.  I  could  hardly  restrain 
an  exclamation  of  surprise  when  I  recognized  her.  There 
was  also  a  feeling  of  satisfaction,  for  I  had  been  very 
strangely  and  unusually  attracted  on  the  two  previous 
occasions  when  I  had  seen  her  and  had  desired  to  meet 
her. 

And  if  her  self-possession,  ease,  and  grace  on  the 
stage  had  been  admirable,  in  her  home  they  were  still 
more  so. 

Not  a  tone,  an  accent,  or  a  look  gave  any  indication 
that  she  had  ever  seen  me,  and  indeed,  I  was  not  assured 
that  she  remembered  me  until  some  time  after,  when  we 
had  become  better  acquainted.  Even  the  subject  of 
music  was  not  mentioned,  and  we  all  spent  the  time  of  my 
first  visit  in  interchanging  thoughts,  wise,  witty,  or  frivo- 

46 


Qlothilde  47 

lous,  on  various  subjects  and  revealing  ourselves  to  each 
other  by  such  means. 

The  difference  in  appearance  between  the  two  sis- 
ters was  much  greater  than  is  generally  found  in  mem- 
bers of  the  same  family.  The  younger  was  fair,  with 
auburn  hair  and  blue  eyes,  while  the  elder  was  a  brunette 
of  the  most  distinguished  type.  I  could  hardly  compare 
them  further,  for  the  one  was  as  yet  unformed,  while  the 
other  had  enjoyed  unusual  opportunity  for  study,  culture 
and  refinement.  This  was  evident  in  her  conversation, 
her  tone  of  voice,  her  every  attitude  and  movement,  and 
especially  in  her  tact  and  power  of  interesting  every  one 
present. 

She  was  certainly  not  older  than  twenty-three,  or 
four,  a  little  above  the  usual  height,  and  the  character  of 
her  bearing  and  her  dark  beauty  were  so  attractive,  and 
her  grace  and  charm  of  manner  so  wonderful  that  I  could 
readily  see  how  these  had  given  her,  even  in  this  great 
city,  the  appellation  of  princess,  by  which  her  father  once 
or  twice  playfully  addressed  her. 

From  this  time  onward  my  visits  to  Mr.  Beyresen's 
house  were  frequent.  Mrs.  Beyresen  was  so  motherly  a 
person,  Mr.  Beyresen  was  so  hospitable  and  so  evidently 
desired  me  to  feel  at  home,  and  Miss  Clothilde  was  so 
kind  and  entertaining  that  I  soon  began  to  consider  that 
I  was  always  welcome. 

I  was  invited  to  dine  with  the  family  one  evening  at 
a  noted  cafe,  and  we  all  walked  in  company  to  the  place. 

The  little  parks  along  the  boulevard  were  fragrant 
and  beautiful  with  flowers,  displayed  in  the  soft  electric 
light  which  flooded  everything,  and  on  up  toward  the 
Administration  Square  a  band  was  playing. 

"The  night  is  perfect  and  the  walk  delightful,"  said 


48  John  Harvey 

I.  "We  are  attended  by  bofh  flowers  and  music.  Which 
do  you  prefer,  Miss  Beyresen?" 

"You  need  hardly  ask,"  she  answered.  "I  should 
dislike  to  be  deprived  of  either,  but  music  is  my  delight 
and  my  most  constant  study;  it  is  eternal  and  divine." 

"And  you  think  flowers  only  earthly?"  I  inquired. 

"I  cannot  tell,"  she  replied.  "I  hope  there  are  flowers 
in  heaven,  but  I  am  sure  there  is  music.  It  is  like  one's 
soul,  unseen,  intangible,  emotional,  and  it  is  a  necessity  to 
happiness,  almost  to  existence,  I  believe." 

"It  would  seem  so,"  I  returned.  "There  are  so  many 
harmonious  sounds  everywhere,  each  speaking  to  us  in 
its  own  peculiar  way  and  they  form  a  great  repertoire 
from  which  we  draw  continually  and  unconsciously." 

"But  that  is  not  all,"  said  she.  "Strains  of  music  I 
never  heard  before  have  come  into  my  mind,  or  rather 
floated  into  my  imagination,  and  kept  me  company  for 
days.    Where  did  they  originate,  Mr.  Maxwell?" 

"I  do  not  know,"  I  answered,  "any  more  than  how 
your  thoughts  occur.  To  me  the  musical  composer's 
mind  is  more  a  mystery  than  to  you,  who  are  naturally  in 
affinity  with  his  creative  world.  I  can  only  say  that  char- 
acter, mood,  and  association  have  much  to  do  in  shaping 
all  expressions  of  the  mind  and  soul." 

"The  terms  you  use  are  so  comprehensive,  Mr.  Max- 
well, that  I  do  not  feel  particularly  enlightened." 

"I  claim  no  ability  in  this  direction,  Miss  Beyresen. 
The  influence  of  character  in  musical  effort  and  emotion 
I  cannot  estimate.  That  of  mood  and  association  I  can 
trace  more  easily.  The  song  one's  mother  sang;  the  dirge 
over  a  friend;  the  national  air  of  one's  country;  any  music 
heard  on  memorable  occasions  continually  recurs  when- 
ever anything  connected  with  it  stirs  memory's  silent 
Chambers  or  even  when  the  soul  is  in  the  same  mood.    I 


Clothilde  49 

could  tell  you  of  an  anthem  I  heard  but  once,  which,  with 
the  scene  attendant,  made  so  powerful  an  impression  on 
my  mind  that  I  do  not  think  I  shall  ever  forget  it.  I  have 
been  hearing  portions  of  it  since  we  have  been  walking 
here  together." 

She  hesitated  a  moment  and  then  asked:  "And 
pray  what  was  it?" 

"You  know  better  than  I,  for  you  were  the  leading 
spirit  of  the  occasion,"  I  answered.  "It  may  be  strange 
that  I  should  be  quietly  walking  and  talking  with  the  in- 
spiring person  who  sang  that  anthem,  but  it  is  not  strange 
that  its  words  and  music  should  recur  to  me." 

"I  believe  I  know  what  you  mean!"  she  exclaimed, 
"and  I  perceive  you  are  still  the  same  complimentary 
gentleman  who  bestowed  a  bouquet  on  me  that  evening. 
I  am  really  glad  to  have  this  opportunity  to  explain  my 
action  to  you.  I  recognized  in  it  certain  flowers  which  I 
was  sure  could  be  found  only  in  our  own  greenhouse. 
The  plants  had  been  sent  me  some  time  previously  by  a 
friend  from  abroad,  and  my  sister  had  put  a  few  of  the 
blossoms  in  some  bouquets  which  a  neighboring  florist 
had  asked  her  to  make  for  him.  I  picked  the  bouquet 
up  therefore  and  wore  the  flowers.  How  you  ever  found 
them  and  came  to  give  them  to  me  I  cannot  imagine." 

"I  found  them  accidentally,"  I  replied.  "I  happened 
in  at  the  florist's,  saw  the  flowers  which  were  familiar  to 
me  in  their  native  land,  and  the  disposal  of  them  was  an 
involuntary  tribute  to  your  rendition  of  the  anthem.  I 
am  very  glad  I  had  them,"  I  added. 

"And  so  am  I,"  she  said,  "though  your  explanation 
of  'why'  you  had  them  might  challenge  investigation.  I 
was  a  substitute  for  another  that  evening,  Mr.  Maxwell," 
she  continued,  "and  I  think  I  could  offer  a  theory  more 


50  John  Harvey 

plausible  than  that  you  have  just  given  of  how  they  came 
into  your  possession.    Would  you  like  to  hear  it?" 

"No,  thank  you,"  I  answered;  "your  explanations 
already  have  destroyed  enough  illusions.  Let  me  add 
that  I  am  exceedingly  glad  there  was  a  substitute  that 
evening." 

We  entered  the  cafe  together,  into  a  great  hall  well 
lighted  and  beautifully  adorned,  with  small  dining-rooms 
on  either  side,  separated  from  it  by  arched  openings  cased 
with  onyx.  In  these  smaller  rooms,  which  were  fur- 
nished with  all  the  requisites  for  comfort  and  convenience, 
tables  were  laid  at  which  parties  like  our  own  could  sit 
in  comparative  privacy,  and  yet  see  other  guests  entering 
the  great  hall  and  crossing  it  to  the  main  public  dining- 
room. 

We  took  our  seats  at  a  table  in  one  of  these  rooms 
and  ordered  our  repast.  I  could  not  repress  my  admira- 
tion of  the  cafe  and  its  appointments,  and  compared  it 
with  some  that  I  had  seen  in  Europe.  The  conversation 
took  a  wider  range  and  we  were  soon  talking  of  foreign 
countries. 

Many  years  before  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beyresen  had  spent 
a  short  time  in  Great  Britain  and  on  the  Continent. 

They  related  some  of  the  incidents  of  their  journey, 
and  Mrs.  Beyresen  said  to  me : 

"When  we  were  in  Liverpool,  twenty-five  years  ago, 
we  became  acquainted  with  a  family  of  your  name.  The 
husband  was  a  physician  and  quite  eminent  in  his  pro- 
fession. There  were  two  daughters  and  one  or  two  sons 
in  the  family.  I  have  wondered  if  they  could  have  been 
related  to  you,  Mr.  Maxwell?" 

"I  think  not,  Mrs.  Beyresen,"  I  answered.  "My  peo- 
ple live  in  the  western  portion  of  England,  and  though 
they  are  often  in  Liverpool  yet  none  of  them  ever  re- 


ClotJiilde  51 

sided  there.    Besides,  none  of  my  family  or  relatives  were 
at  that  time  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine." 

"Then,"  said  Mrs.  Beyresen,  "we  met  another  family 
of  Maxwells  a  little  later  on,  in  Scotland,  very  nice  people, 
travelers  like  ourselves.  They  were  tenting  comfortably 
at  one  of  the  little  lochs  of  which  there  are  so  many  in 
that  country.  The  gentleman  was  in  trade,  at  Aberdeen, 
I  think,  and  out  with  his  family  for  recreation.  Possibly 
they  were  related  to  you,  Mr.  Maxwell." 

"I  think  not,  Mrs.  Beyresen,"  I  replied.  "In  fact  I 
know  they  were  not.  None  of  my  people  were  at  that 
time  engaged  in  trade  at  Aberdeen." 

"Mr.  Maxwell,"  inquired  Anna  very  earnestly,  "what 
do  the  people  of  England  do;  what  did  your  people  do?" 

"The  people  of  England  do  a  great  many  things, 
Miss  Anna.  Nearly  all  my  people  were  farmers  and  stock- 
raisers." 

"Oh!"  said  Anna,  "I  did  not  think  there  was  room. 
The  island  is  so  small,  I  am  sure  it  must  be  crowded. 
There  are  only  a  few  counties  and  they  not  very  large. 
Let  me  see  if  I  can  remember  them."  She  mentioned 
the  names  of  all  the  counties  except  one  which  she  had 
forgotten. 

"Devonshire,"  I  suggested. 

"Oh,  yes,  thank  you,  that  is  in  the  west,  the  region 
you  said  your  people  lived  in.  Was  that  where  you  came 
from?"  she  inquired. 

"It  was  the  county  in  which  I  was  born,  and  lived 
for  many  years,"  I  replied,  feeling  a  little  ill  at  ease  under 
this  questioning. 

Miss  Clothilde  had  been  listening  with  an  amused 
smile,  which  I  had  noticed.    She  now  interposed: 

"Let  me  make  a  diversion  in  your  favor,  Mr.  Max- 
well," she  said,  "before  you  get  hopelessly  entangled  in 


52  John  Harvey 

a  web  most  innocently  woven  for  you.    You  are  in  peril, 
I  believe." 

"I  am  obliged  for  your  interest,"  I  returned,  "though 
I  am  not  aware  of  any  danger.  I  was  simply  replying  to 
Miss  Anna's  inquiries  about  England  and  its  people." 

"Oh,  yes,"  she  said,  "and  to  Mamma  Beyresen's. 
Pardon  me,  but  it  was  the  disinterestedness  and  candor  of 
your  answers  that  led  to  my  proffer  of  assistance.  I  did 
not  intend  to  be  officious.  But  I  should  like  to  under- 
stand," she  continued  after  a  moment's  pause,  "how  you 
could  know,  when  I  am  sure  you  were  not  over  five  years 
of  age,  that  none  of  your  family  or  relatives  were  physi- 
cians, or  none  of  them  were  engaged  in  trade  at  Aber- 
deen?" 

"If  I  had  such  information  later  in  life,  or  if  my  fam- 
ily were  few  in  numbers,  I  might  be  able  to  state  positively 
about  the  matter,"  I  replied. 

"Is  your  family  few  in  numbers,  Mr.  Maxwell?"  she 
inquired  mischievously,  "and  where,  pray,  do  they  market 
the  stock  which  they  raise?" 

"I  crave  your  clemency!"  I  cried.  "I  cannot  answer 
two  questions  in  one  breath.  If  you  call  this  assistance, 
Miss  Clothilde,  forfend  me  from  such." 

"I  do  not  call  it  assistance,"  she  answered  laughingly. 
"I  would  not  be  so  inexact.  I  consider  it  rather  as  ad- 
monition, and  if  you  will  take  it  so,  Mr.  Maxwell,  you 
need  not  answer  anything." 

I  tacitly  accepted  her  conditions,  and  from  that  time 
onward  no  further  inquiries  were  made  respecting  my 
home  or  family. 

We  soon  after  left  the  cafe  and  returned  to  the  house, 
where  I  remained  for  some  time  talking  with  Mr.  Bey- 
resen  about  the  Xationality  and  its  affairs,  Mrs.  Beyresen 


Clothildc  53 

and  Miss  Clothilde  occasionally  making  some  observa- 
tion, the  latter  manifesting  a  thorough  acquaintance  with 
and  much  interest  in  the  history  of  that  body. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  MOUNTAIN  AND  MINING    DISTRICTS. 

About  the  middle  of  June  I  made  a  short  journey 
both  for  observation  and  recreation  among  the  mountain 
regions  of  the  Nationality. 

The  inhabitants  were  largely  engaged  in  dairying, 
fruit  and  stock  raising,  and  mining. 

There  were  numerous  towns  and  villages  situated  at 
irregular  intervals,  as  convenience  demanded,  and  the 
railroads  connecting  them  generally  followed  the  courses 
of  the  streams  as  a  matter  of  necessity.  There  were  hun- 
dreds of  quaint  hamlets  where  the  locomotive  whistle  had 
never  been  heard,  and  thousands  of  beautiful  valleys, 
parks,  and  camping  spots,  almost  as  quiet  and  undisturbed 
as  they  had  been  for  centuries  before. 

I  met  many  tourists  from  all  portions  of  the  world; 
for  the  climate  is  delightfully  cool  and  refreshing,  the 
sunshine  bright,  grateful  and  almost  continuous,  and  the 
mountain  scenery  among  the  grandest  and  most  beauti- 
ful on  the  face  of  the  globe. 

The  forests,  covering  a  large  portion  of  this  region, 
were  preserved  with  as  much  care  as  those  in  any  part  of 
Europe,  thousands  of  acres  of  young  trees  being  annually 
planted. 

The  wild  game  was  carefully  protected,  extensive 
areas  of  country  too  rough  for  other  uses  having  been  set 
apart  as  a  refuge  for  them.  The  fish  in  the  streams  were 
plentiful,  and  living  in  the  pure  cold  water  distilled  from 

54 


The  Mountain  and  Mining  Districts  55 

the  melting  snows  upon  the  mountains,  were  among  the 
finest  anywhere  to  be  found. 

Game  could  be  killed  and  fish  taken  only  during  cer- 
tain seasons  and  in  limited  numbers,  and  tourists  and  all 
others  out  for  such  sport  were  required  to  take  a  govern- 
ment officer  with  them,  whose  duty  it  was  to  see  that  the 
laws  and  regulations  in  regard  to  game,  and  also  in  regard 
to  forest  growth  and  forest  fires,  were  not  violated. 

In  these  regions  the  Nationality  employed  very  many 
of  its  people  in  mining  for  coal,  iron,  lead,  copper,  and 
other  metals,  including  gold  and  silver,  which  were  found 
in  greater  abundance  here  than  in  any  other  portion  of 
the  globe. 

I  was  much  interested  in  examining  into  the  condi- 
tion of  the  mines  and  miners,  thus  directly  under  the  con- 
trol of  the  government,  and  spent  much  of  my  time 
among  them. 

I  found  that  the  mines  were  far  freer  from  danger, 
better  equipped,  better  timbered,  and  better  lighted, 
drained,  and  ventilated  than  under  other  systems  of  own- 
ership in  which  the  largeness  of  the  output  and  economy 
in  its  production  were  the  main  objects. 

The  miners  were  a  most  intelligent  and  sober  people, 
and  had  as  comfortable  homes  and  were  as  well  provided 
for  as  any  other  class  of  citizens.  They  worked  only  six 
hours  in  the  twenty-four,  their  places  being  then  filled  by 
others.  These  short  hours  were  allowed  them  because  of 
the  underground  character  of  their  work,  and  the  fact 
that  their  health  and  comfort  were  considered  as  of  the 
first  importance  by  the  government. 

I  was  surprised  to  learn  that  such  was  their  enhanced 
diligence  and  such  the  advantages  of  extended  co-opera- 
tion and  improved  methods,  that  under  the  management 


56  John  Harvey 

of  the  Nationality,  notwithstanding  this  reduction  in  the 
time  of  individual  labor  and  the  increased  expense  en- 
tailed by  sanitary  and  protective  measures,  the  output 
of  the  mines  was  greater  and  more  profitable  than  under 
that  of  the  corporations  and  owners  formerly  controlling 
them. 

Certain  grievances  were  charged  against  the  Nation- 
ality in  connection  with  the  business  of  mining,  the  his- 
tory of  which  I  will  endeavor  to  relate. 

Some  thirty  years  previous  to  the  time  of  which  I 
write,  the  United  States  had  ceded  to  the  separate  states 
all  the  lands  then  belonging  to  it  within  their  borders,  not 
even  excepting  those  containing  precious  metals.  The 
business  of  mining,  especially  for  these  metals,  had  been 
very  profitable,  and  many  corporations  and  individuals 
outside  the  states  in  which  the  mines  were  located  had 
been  engaged  in  it.  The  states  to  which  these  mineral 
lands  were  ceded  refused  to  sell  them,  but  rented  or  leased 
them  for  a  term  of  years  on  a  certain  royalty. 

On  the  accession  of  the  Nationality  the  mining  lands 
thus  ceded,  with  all  else  became  its  property,  and  it  re- 
fused to  renew  the  leases,  but  as  they  lapsed  worked  the 
mines  for  the  benefit  of  its  own  people.  Its  operations 
being  conducted  on  a  large  scale  caused  the  working  of 
the  other  mines,  owned  and  controlled  by  the  corpora- 
tions and  individuals  before  mentioned,  to  become  un- 
profitable. 

Many  of  the  latter  mines,  also,  as  their  owners  de- 
sired to  sell,  were  bought  up  by  the  Nationality  with  the 
evident  object  of  controlling  the  entire  output  and  having 
but  one  system  of  labor,  its  own,  within  its  borders. 

This  action  extended  to  and  affected  mines  of  all 
kinds — iron,  coal,  copper,  lead  and  stone,  as  well  as  pre- 
cious metals. 


The  Mountain  and  Mining  Districts  57 

The  proceeding  of  the  Nationality  in  these  respects 
was  tested  by  suits  brought  against  that  body  in  the  Uni- 
ted States  courts  by  these  corporations  and  owners,  but 
was  decided  by  the  highest  tribunals  of  the  land  to  be  per- 
fectly constitutional  and  legal. 

The  agitation  in  regard  to  these  matters  had  not, 
however,  ceased,  being  kept  up  by  persons  living  under 
the  old  labor  system  in  other  9tates,  and  had  lately  as- 
sumed higher  ground  than  before. 

It  was  alleged  that  the  Nationality  had  gained  pos- 
session of  the  principal  mines  of  the  country,  and  con- 
trolled the  output  of  the  precious  metals  to  its  own  ad- 
vantage; that  it  hoarded  them  in  its  vaults,  and  was  able 
at  any  time  to  flood  the  country  with  them,  and  that 
among  its  own  people  they  were  not  used  as  money. 

In  regard  to  these  accusations,  it  was  undoubtedly 
true  that  the  Nationality  controlled  the  amount  of  the 
precious  metals  mined  within  its  borders  and  dictated 
the  disposition  of  the  same,  but  not  more  so  than  it  did 
that  of  its  other  products,  it  being  an  essential  part  of  its 
plan  that  it  should  so  control  all  production. 

It  was  undoubtedly  true  that  large  quantities  of  the 
precious  metals  were  stored  away  in  the  vaults  of  the 
treasury  at  Neuropolis,  and  that  they  were  not  used  as 
money  among  the  people  of  the  Nationality. 

In  fact,  the  complaints  against  that  body  all  arose 
from  undeniable  differences  between  its  labor  system  and 
that  of  the  rest  of  the  Union,  and  the  impossibility  of  set- 
tling them  except  by  the  adoption  of  one  system  by  the 
whole  nation,  was  evident. 

This  conviction  caused  me  to  turn  again  with  re- 
newed interest  to  the  study  of  the  principles  underlying 
these  systems,  and  to  the  observation  of  the  condition 
of  the  people  living  under  them.    Having  learned  much 


58  John  Harvey 

in  the  course  of  my  brief  visit  to  the  mountains  I  re- 
turned to  Neuropolis  in  the  latter  part  of  June,  purposing 
before  long  to  spend  some  time  on  the  plains,  among  the 
more  exclusively  agricultural  communities. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE    ENGRAVINGS. 

I  spent  many  evenings  now  at  Mr.  Beyresen's  house. 
It  was  a  great  pleasure  to  me  to  feel  that  I  had  found 
friends  in  this  strange  land,  who  accepted  me  for  what 
I  was,  and  not  for  what  I  or  my  family  represented. 

Mr.  Beyresen  was  much  engaged  in  affairs  of  state, 
and  I  had  on  these  visits  opportunities  to  become  better 
acquainted  with  Miss  Clothilde,  who  was  usually  at  home. 

In  addition  to  her  other  accomplishments,  she  was 
exceedingly  well  informed  on  all  subjects  of  literature  and 
art,  and  seemed  to  have  a  knowledge  of  many  of  the  mod- 
ern languages. 

I  obtained  my  first  hint  of  this  one  evening  when  we 
were  talking  of  the  arrangement  of  books  in  libraries. 

"My  adjustment  of  them,"  said  she,  "is  very  crude. 
I  put  the  books  in  English  together,  the  Spanish  to- 
gether, the  German  together,  and  the  French  together. 
The  other  languages  are  massed  remorselessly." 

"And  how  many  languages,  pray,  have  you  in  your 
library?"  I  inquired. 

"Oh,  I  do  not  know,"  she  answered.  "I  have  a  good 
many  more  than  I  understand,  I  fear.  A  large  part  of  my 
library  was  left  me  by  a  friend,  and  the  books  are  prized 
on  that  account.  Though,  indeed,  they  are  all  among 
the  best  books,  and  I  should  be  lost  without  them.  Be- 
sides these,  I  have  added  many  of  my  own  choice  from 

59 


60  John  Harvey 

time  to  time  during  the  last  twelve  years,  and  I  have  now 
quite  a  good  library." 

"The  last  twelve  years!"  I  exclaimed.  "You  must 
have  begun  collecting  books  at  a  very  early  age,  Miss 
Beyresen." 

"A  woman,"  she  replied,  "answers  no  questions  in 
regard  to  her  age.  She  is  supposed  to  have  youth  im- 
mortal. I  will  show  you,  however,  one  book  presented 
to  me  ten  years  ago,  and  I  assure  you,  Mr.  Maxwell, 
though  I  was  not  then  old  enough  to  understand  it  thor- 
oughly, I  could  read  it  as  well  as  either  you  or  I  can 
now." 

She  brought  me  a  copy  of  Goethe's  works  in  Ger- 
man, elegantly  bound  and  exquisitely  illustrated,  a  gift 
worthy  of  a  king.  I  opened  it  and  turned  the  leaves.  I 
did  not  look  at  the  blank  leaves  where  the  donor's  name 
might  be.    She  observed  this. 

"Oh,  you  may  look  anywhere  in  the  book.  See," 
she  said,  pointing  to  a  little  golden  case  set  in  the  leather 
on  the  side  of  the  book,  and  closed  by  a  slide,  "the  giver's 
name  and  presentation  note  are  in  that  little  case." 

"If  this  be  a  specimen  of  the  books  in  your  library, 
Miss  Beyresen,  the  collection  must  be  a  sight  worth  see- 
ing. This  is  a  royal  gift  in  its  richness  of  illustration  and 
beauty  of  finish." 

"I  am  pleased  that  you  like  it,"  she  said,  "but  it  is 
hardly  a  fair  criterion  of  my  books.  It  is  a  show-book 
more  than  one  for  general  use,  and  I  think  possibly  the 
costliest  single  volume  I  have." 

"If  you  have  more  show-books  similar  to  this,"  said 
I,  looking  admiringly  at  the  beautiful  illustrations,  "I 
should  be  very  much  pleased  to  see  them." 

"You  told  us  some  time  ago  you  were  from  Devon- 
shire," she  remarked.    "I  have  some  engravings  of  Dev- 


The  Engravings  61 

onshire  scenery,  and  towns  and  castles  which  I  can  show 
you." 

"I  should  be  glad  to  see  them,  if  I  do  not  trouble 
you  and  if  there  is  time  this  evening,"  I  answered,  a  little 
disconcerted,  notwithstanding  my  curiosity  regarding 
them,  at  the  possible  perplexities  into  which  I  might  be 
plunged  by  this  quick-witted  young  lady. 

She  seemed  to  notice  my  hesitation,  for  she  said: 
"I  thought  you  might  be  able  to  tell  me  something  about 
these  places,  which  would  add  to  my  information  and  be 
valuable  to  me  in  showing  the  engravings  to  others.  But 
if  you  wish  to  examine  them  more  leisurely  I  will  give 
them  to  you  as  you  leave,  and  you  can  take  them  with 
you." 

"By  no  means,"  I  replied  quickly;  "the  greatest 
pleasure  in  looking  at  your  engravings  would  be  foregone 
if  I  might  not  examine  them  with  you.  Any  information 
about  them  I  possess  will  be  given  you  with  pleasure. 
Let  us  look  them  over  together,  please." 

She  seemed  gratified,  and  brought  the  book  and 
turned  the  pages  with  her  own  fingers.  The  engravings 
were  quite  numerous,  and  very  fine,  evidently  the  work 
of  the  best  artists. 

I  saw  familiar  places,  which,  in  years  gone  by,  I  had 
frequented,  and  various  events  connected  with  them  I 
remembered  distinctly.  Miss  Beyresen  said  little,  but 
very  evidently  enjoyed  the  interest  which  she  saw  I  took 
in  them. 

Presently  my  fair  entertainer  turned  a  leaf  and  an  un- 
usually fine  engraving  of  Dorsetshire  Castle  appeared.  I 
was  startled  at  seeing  before  me  an  exact  representation 
of  a  spot  associated  with  my  earliest  and  most  cherished 
recollections. 

"This,"  she  said,  "is,  I  believe,  the  ancestral  seat  of 


62  John  Harvey 

the  Duke  of  Dorsetshire.  I  have  heard  that  it  is  a  fa- 
mous castle  with  very  beautiful  grounds.  I  suppose  you 
have  seen  it,  Mr.  Maxwell?" 

I  bowed  assent,  hardly  caring  to  answer  audibly,  par- 
ticularly as  she  was  regarding  me  attentively  with  her 
great  hazel  eyes. 

"Then  probably  you  can  tell  me  whether  this  engrav- 
ing is  an  accurate  one." 

"I  hardly  understand  you,"  I  replied.  "It  seems  to 
me  a  very  real  representation  of  the  place." 

"Let  us  go  more  into  particulars,  please,"  she  said. 
"I  think  if  we  do  you  will  understand  me  better.  I  have 
quite  a  curiosity  to  know  if  this  engraving  really  is  exact. 
For  instance,"  she  went  on,  "is  that  group  of  high  trees 
represented  as  standing  to  the  right  of  the  castle  truthful; 
are  there  such  trees  there,  I  mean?" 

"I  believe  there  are,"  I  answered.  "That  is  my  rec- 
ollection." 

"And  do  you  recall  the  species  of  trees?"  she  asked. 

"They  are  elms,  I  believe,"  I  replied. 

"And  the  gardens  on  the  left  where  the  ladies  and 
gentlemen  stand,  are  they  really  there?" 

"I  believe  they  are  there  also,"  I  answered. 

"And  the  rookery,  does  that  exist  as  represented?" 

"There  was  a  rookery  at  about  that  place,"  I  answer- 
ed again,  somewhat  puzzled  at  the  persistence  of  my  fair 
interlocutor. 

"Well,"  she  continued,  "and  that  high  tower,  is  it  re- 
ally as  represented?" 

"The  tower  is  undoubtedly  there,  or  was  some  years 
ago,  when  I  last  saw  the  place,"  I  replied. 

"Now,"  she  said,  "that  hardly  answers  my  question, 
Mr.  Maxwell.  "Do  you  think  the  engraving  an  exact 
representation  of  the  tower,  for  instance?" 


The  Engravings  63 

"I  think  it  is,"  I  replied. 

"Look  at  it  again,"  she  said.  "Artists  are  so  inac- 
curate sometimes,  and  take  such  liberties  with  the  orig- 
inal, or,  rather,  depend  often  on  a  not  very  accurate  mem- 
ory for  details.  Do  you  see  those  three  windows,  one 
somewhat  above  the  other  in  a  spiral,  on  the  part  of  the 
tower  shown  in  the  engraving?" 

"I  do." 
"Then  look  a  little  to  the  left.    Do  you  not  see  another 
window  faintly  outlined  in  the  shadow  toward  the  main 
roof?" 

"I  believe  I  do,"  I  said. 

"Now,  Mr.  Maxwell,  is  there  such  a  window  in  that 
tower?" 

I  was  startled.  I  knew  there  was  no  such  window, 
but  how  on  earth  could  the  young  lady  so  promptly  chal- 
lenge its  existence? 

"There  is  no  such  window,"  I  answered  positively, 
thrown  a  little  off  my  guard. 

"I  knew  it,"  she  said,  "because  the  three  spiral  win- 
dows suggest  a  stairway,  and  that  window  is  not  only  out 
of  place,  but  would  be  directly  in  the  way  of  a  stairway. 
There  is  a  stairway,  Mr.  Maxwell?" 

"Yes,"  I  admitted,  "there  is  a  stairway." 

"Thank  you,"  she  said,  "and  now  one  other  ques- 
tion. Do  you  see  that  figure  of  a  horse  on  the  stables? 
Is  that  horse  correctly  portrayed?  Look  at  its  position, 
Mr.  Maxwell.  It  faces  in  toward  the  stables.  It  should 
face  outwards.  It  may,  however,  be  a  weather-vane, 
though  it  is  rather  large  for  that,  but  if  it  be  really  a  sta- 
tionary figure  I  cannot  but  think  the  engraver  has  let  his 
memory  deceive  him  and  has  placed  it  wrong." 

"It  is  placed  wrong,"  I  answered.  "It  is  not  a 
weather-vane,  but  a  figure  in  bronze,  and  does  face  to- 


64  John  Harvey 

ward  the  entrance.  How  particularly  you  observe!"  I 
continued.  "Few  would  have  noticed  these  slight  inac- 
curacies in  so  fine  an  engraving." 

"Now  let  me  assure  you,  Mr.  Maxwell,  I  did  not  call 
attention  to  these  inaccuracies  for  the  purpose  of  exhibit- 
ing my  small  powers  of  observation,  but  rather  for  that 
of  seeing  if  they  would  be  verified  by  your  greater  knowl- 
edge. There  is  one  other  point  on  which  I  would  like  to 
have  your  opinion.  You  see  that  rustic  lookout,  or  seat, 
on  the  lower  branches  of  the  great  oak  tree  in  the  fore- 
ground?" 

She  was  pointing  to  a  seat  I  myself,  as  a  boy,  had 
made  with  the  help  of  the  gardener,  taking  advantage  of  a 
natural  curve  in  one  of  the  large  branches  of  the  oak  tree. 
The  gardener  and  I  had  made  the  seat,  and  I  used  to  oc- 
cupy it,  in  company  often  with  a  little  Spanish  maiden 
who  was  visiting  at  the  castle  when  I  was  about  twelve 
years  of  age.  I  remembered  a  fall  I  once  had  from  it  to 
the  ground,  the  result  of  a  misstep,  and  the  side  of  my 
left  temple  still  bore  a  scar  which  I  had  then  received.  I 
could,  as  I  looked  at  the  engraving,  recall  my  little  com- 
panion's shriek  of  terror  as  I  fell  to  the  ground. 

I  hesitated  and  looked  at  Miss  Beyresen,  and  then 
answered:    "Yes,  I  believe  I  see  it." 

"Now,  Mr.  Maxwell,"  she  said,  "that  seat  has  puz- 
zled me.  The  great  limb  of  the  tree  seems  to  bend  in  a 
very  unnatural  way,  so  as  to  form  a  curved  back  for  the 
seat.  Does  it  really  do  so,  or  is  this  another  defect  in  my 
engraving?" 

I  glanced  at  the  young  lady;  there  was  mischief  lurk- 
ing in  her  eye,  though  her  expression  otherwise  was  sweet 
and  innocent  as  a  summer  morning.  I  could  not  tell  her 
about  the  tree  without  revealing  too  great  familiarity  with 
the  place,  so  I  replied:  "I  cannot  enlighten  you  as  to  that, 


The  Engravings  65 

Miss  Beyresen,  but  I  must  be  permitted  to  compliment 
you  on  your  powers  of  observation,  and  to  remark  that 
you  seem  to  expect  extremely  accurate  work  from  the  art- 
ist.   You  appear  to  be  very  realistic  in  your  demands." 

"I  have  been  called  idealistic,"  she  demurely  an- 
swered, "and  I  liked  that  expression  better." 

"Well,"  I  returned,  "there  has  been  something  about 
you  this  evening  ideally  realistic." 

"Thank  you,"  she  said;  "that  is  pleasanter." 

"And  you  always  suit  the  scene  in  this  ideally  real- 
istic land,"  I  continued,  "which  is  one  reason,  I  suppose, 
why  you  are  called  by  the  most  appropriate  name  of  'The 
Princess'." 

"I  should  like  you  to  go  on,"  she  said.  "I  am  very 
much  interested  and  would  fain  hear  more,  but  from  the 
well-known  footfall  upon  the  walk  I  fear  the  entrance  of 
Father  Beyresen  will  clip  the  wings  of  your  fancy  in  mid- 
air, so  you  would  better,  Mr.  Maxwell,  settle  down  gently 
before  he  arrives." 

"I  beg  pardon,"  I  again  replied.  "I  will  take  your 
advice ;  but  I  have  a  favor  to  ask  of  you  before  I  go.  These 
evenings  are  so  beautiful  and  I  am  so  English  that  I 
think  no  place  is  as  pleasant  as  outdoors,  with  a  congenial 
companion.  If  your  highness  would  consent  to  accom- 
pany me  some  evening  for  a  stroll  about  the  avenues  and 
boulevards  of  this  well-kept  city  I  should  be  very  grate- 
ful." She  hesitated,  and  I  added:  "Say  to-morrow  even- 
ing. I  understand  there  is  to  be  an  illumination  of  a 
unique  character  in  the  Administration  "Square.  I  believe 
I  can  find  a  quiet  place  from  which  we  can  view  it  com- 
fortably." 

"Thank  you,  I  think  I  can  go,"  she  said.  "I  should 
like  to  go.  I  generally  spend  a  good  deal  of  time  out- 
doors during  summer  evenings.  Yes,  you  can  depend 
upon  me  to-morrow,  Mr.  Maxwell." 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE     ILLUMINATION. 

Half  past  7  o'clock  the  next  evening  found  me  at  Mr. 
Beyresen's. 

Miss  Clothilde  was  ready  for  our  walk,  and  when 
she  entered  the  room  I  thought  I  had  never  seen  her  look- 
ing more  animated,  charming  and  graceful. 

"Shall  we  be  in  the  open  air  all  the  time,  Mr.  Max- 
well?" she  inquired. 

"As  you  desire,"  I  replied,  "though  I  had  not  sup- 
posed anything  else,  it  is  such  a  glorious  night." 

"Two  souls  with  but  a  single  thought!"  she  exclaim- 
ed. "I  have  been  shut  up  all  day,  and  the  air  will  be  so 
refreshing.    How  long  shall  we  be  out?" 

"I  cannot  tell  that,"  I  answered.  "Let  us  be  like  chil- 
dren that  take  no  note  of  time.  When  you  are  weary  we 
will  turn  homeward." 

So  we  sallied  forth,  and  were  soon  walking  arm  in 
arm  up  the  Southeast  Avenue  leading  toward  the  Ad- 
ministration Square. 

It  was  a  beautiful  evening  in  the  early  part  of  July, 
calm,  still  and  languorous.  A  few  white,  fleecy  clouds 
drifted  across  the  azure  sky,  occasionally  intercepting  the 
rays  of  the  full  moon  which  shed  a  changeful  light  upon 
all  objects,  glorifying  some  and  casting  others  into  deep 
shadow. 

Many  people  were  abroad  on  the  avenue  like  our- 
selves ;  others  sat  under  the  trees  in  the  little  parks,  but 
the  avenue  was  so  broad  and  the  parks  so  many  that 

66 


The  Illumination  .        67 

both  seemed  but  thinly  populated.  Family  groups  were 
out  on  the  lawns  in  front  of  their  homes  enjoying  the 
beauties  of  the  night,  often  in  company  with  friends  and 
neighbors,  and  frequently  small  tables  stood  near  them 
on  which  were  various  light  refreshments. 

We  walked  slowly  along  the  avenue,  talking  of  the 
city  and  of  others  in  Eastern  lands  which  I  had  visited, 
with  which  I  compared  it. 

"The  Oriental  glamour  and  entrancement  hang 
around  this  scene,"  I  said,  "and  the  mysteries  of  this  land 
appear  to  me  as  fathomless  as  those  of  India  or  Egypt, 
where  every  great  building  and  every  stupendous  work  is 
attributed,  in  part  at  least,  to  some  fabled  deity  or  some 
wonderful  and  mythologic  personage.  The  same  ne- 
cromancy appears  present  here  to-night  as  we  walk  along 
this  noble  boulevard  toward  those  majestic  public  build- 
ings which  adorn  your  city,  and  so  strong  a  spell  does  it 
cast  upon  my  imagination  that  I  could  almost  expect  the 
genii  who  created  them  to  rise  from  behind  those  moun- 
tains and  appear  visibly  to  us.  Are  you  ever  dominated 
by  such  fancies,  Miss  Clothilde,  or  do  you  deem  them 
frivolous?" 

"No,"  she  said  slowly  and  reflectively,  "I  wrould  not 
wish  to  be  considered  as  thinking  them  such;  it  would 
not  augur  well  of  one's  own  character.  I  believe  I  told 
you  last  night  that  I  disclaim  living  entirely  in  the  realms 
of  the  real.  I  know  no  one  who  does  live  so,  and  if  I  did 
I  hardly  think  I  should  desire  an  extended  acquaintance. 
But  I  hope,  Mr.  Maxwell,  I  am  not  so  imaginative  as  to 
be  too  much  a  dreamer,  which  I  think  is  one  of  the  faults 
of  the  Oriental  character.  I  sometimes  look  at  the 
clouds,  sir,  but  I  look  at  my  feet,  too.  I  like  to  know 
where  I  am  going,  but  I  am  not  oblivious  to  the  songs 
of  the  birds  and  the  waters,  and  the  beauty  of  the  flowers 


68  John  Harvey 

and  the  shadows,  and  when  there  is  a  rainbow  I  never 
shut  my  eyes.  I  am  a  mixture,  but  in  what  proportions 
I  can't  tell,  nor  would  I  if  I  could." 

"So  we  all  are,"  I  replied,  "and  the  qualities  of  our 
composition  are  often  so  varied,  and  their  phases  so  sub- 
tle, that  the  very  finest  of  them  cannot  be  described  at  all, 
for  they  give  out  new  tones  at  the  touch  of  every  circum- 
stance and  incident  of  life." 

"Now,  Mr.  Maxwell!"  she  exclaimed,  "I  had  thought 
to  give  you  some  insight  into  my  philosophy,  but  if  you 
are  one  of  those  awful  beings,  called  metaphysicians,  who 
analyze  and  generalize,  and  dissect  and  classify  mental 
phenomena,  I  am  dumb  as  an  oyster." 

"No,  indeed,"  I  answered,  "I  am  not.  Pray  continue, 
for  1  am  sure  it  will  be  interesting." 

"I  do  not  know  about  that,"  she  said;  "it  depends 
much  upon  the  disposition  of  the  listener.  But  I  will  ven- 
ture to  give  you  my  short  creed.  I  think  life  very  mys- 
terious, not  in  an  alarming  way,  but  in  a  solemn  one.  We 
have  great  responsibilities  in  regard  to  it,  and  though  we 
may  enjoy  ourselves  occasionally,  as  you  and  I  are  doing 
to-night,  yet  life  should  not  be  all  a  butterfly  existence. 
I  think  the  best  and  noblest  people  have  generally  been 
the  busiest." 

"But  the  busiest,  I  have  often  noticed,  are  so  occu- 
pied that  they  become  more  or  less  uncongenial,  and 
sometimes  almost  repellent  to  their  fellow-beings." 

"Then  they  have  not  been  rightly  busy,"  she  replied. 
"They  have  been  so  possessed  by  work  in  certain  direc- 
tions that  they  have  forgotten  one  great  duty — to  keep 
themselves  in  touch  with  the  progress,  and  in  sympathy 
with  the  heart  of  humanity,  and  to  show  due  regard  for 
the  rights  and  happiness  of  their  fellow  beings.  That  in- 
cludes a  great  deal,  Mr.  Maxwell,  a  great  deal  that  should 


The  Illumination  69 

never  be  forgotten :  charity,  kindliness,  cheerfulness  and 
unselfishness.  I  think  every  human  being  owes  these  to 
his  fellow  creatures." 

"I  agree  with  you  perfectly,"  I  said,  "but  so  many 
practically  ignore  them." 

"And  yet,"  she  continued,  "there  are  no  other  virtues 
in  whose  exercise  we  can  find  more  pleasure;  they  react 
on  one's  own  life  and  make  it  enjoyable.  It  may  seem 
presumptuous,  Mr.  Maxwell,  but  I  do  not  believe,"  she 
added,  "that  the  old  system  of  government,  the  one  I 
mean  under  which  you,  for  instance,  have  lived,  is  as  con- 
ducive to  the  development  of  these  virtues  as  the  one 
under  which  we  live  here." 

"I  hope  you  are  right,"  I  answered.  "In  fact,  I  think 
the  future  happiness  of  the  world  depends  upon  the  adop- 
tion of  some  system  which  cultivates  the  virtues  you  have 
mentioned.  The  old  system  does  not,  I  am  sure.  If  you 
will  pardon  me,  I  would  like  to  say  one  thing  more.  1 
have  personally  experienced-  these  virtues  since  coming 
into  your  city,  and  I  have  sometimes  thought  that  the 
hospitality  and  kindness  so  generously  shown  me  might 
be  due  in  some  measure  to  the  influences  you  suggest, 
and  then  again  I  have  wondered  whether  I  had  not  merely 
fallen  among  persons  unusually  possessed  by  these  quali- 
ties. Whatever  the  cause  I  have  desired  the  opportunity 
to  express  my  appreciation  and  gratitude." 

"I  hardly  know  how  to  answer  you,  Mr.  Maxwell 
If  you  wish  to  resolve  your  doubts  you  will  have  to  en- 
large your  circle  of  acquaintance.  I  think  I  could  help 
you  in  that  if  you  desired  it." 

"Many  thanks,"  I  answered,  "but  I  pray  you  let  me 
bask  a  little  longer  in  the  sunshine  of  the  friends  I  have 
already  found.    I  want  none  others  just  yet." 


jo  John  Harvey 

"Thank  you  for  your  courtesy  and  your  kindly  ex- 
pression, Mr.  Maxwell,"  she  replied  simply. 

It  was  now  8  o'clock,  the  hour  set  for  beginning  the 
illumination,  and  as  we  reached  the  Administration 
Boulevard,  the  entire  square,  and  the  surrounding  edi- 
fices for  quite  a  distance,  were  suddenly  bathed  in  a  flood 
of  silvery  light  which  had  been  turned  upon  them. 

At  a  height  of  about  eight  hundred  feet,  above  and 
directly  over  the  great  dome  of  the  Administration  Build- 
ing, an  immense  hemisphere  had  by  some  means  been 
suspended.  It  must  have  been  fully  one  hundred  feet  in 
diameter,  and  its  skyward,  or  convex  surface,  was  opaque 
and  its  outline  indistinguishable,  while  its  earthward,  or 
concave  one,  seemed  composed  of  white  glass,  and  from 
every  portion  of  it,  without  cessation  or  interruption,  the 
light  I  have  mentioned  radiated  downwards  and  out- 
wards, a  light  without  heat,  steadfast,  pure  and  soft  like 
that  of  a  brililant  moon  near  the  earth's  surface. 

The  effect  was  very  beautiful;  the  white  marble  of 
the  Administration  Building,  with  its  tracings  and  statu- 
ary, came  out  in  full  relief,  and  all  the  roofs  shone  like 
silver  in  this  soft  but  all-pervading  light.  It  wrapped  the 
sides  of  the  surrounding  buildings  in  its  effulgent  flood, 
revealing  their  noble  outlines  and  gave  a  new  and  phan- 
tom-like appearance  to  all  objects,  great  or  small,  on 
which  it  shone. 

An  exclamation  of  surprise  escaped  from  Clothilde's 
lips,  and  as  we  hurried  along  up  the  East  Boulevard 
under  the  light  of  fhe  new  orb,  her  face  revealed  her  de- 
lighted wonder. 

"Ah,  Mr.  Maxwell,"  she  exclaimed,  "is  not  this  beau- 
tiful !  I  am  a  thousand  times  obliged  to  you  for  bringing 
me  here." 

We  stopped  near  one  of  the  great  universities  which 


The  Illumination  71 

faced  the  eastern  side  of  the  Administration  Square,  and 
stood  for  a  few  moments  between  it  and  its  adjoining 
grounds.  Great  trees  cast  dark  shadows  on  the  street 
and  athwart  the  walks,  while  close  by  us  rose  the  uni- 
versity, a  massive  building  of  gray  granite.  It  was  many 
stories  high,  with  numerous  porches,  nooks  and  angles 
on  all  sides,  some  of  them  lighted  up  by  the  illumination, 
others  cast  in  shadow. 

The  edifice  had  been  closed  to  general  admittance, 
bat  many  of  its  porches  on  the  side  next  the  Administra- 
tion Building  were  occupied  by  professors,  students  and 
their  friends.  During  the  afternoon  I  had  secured  the 
promise  of  admission  to  one  of  the  smaller  of  these  high 
up  on  the  sixth  story. 

A  great  concourse  of  people  had  already  assembled 
on  the  square,  and  many  others  were  constantly  arriving. 

Clothilde,  however,  seemed  entirely  occupied  in 
viewing  the  illumination,  and  I  stood  by  her  for  some 
minutes  enjoying  her  rapturous  enthusiasm.  At  last  I 
interrupted  it  and  told  her  of  the  place  I  had  secured,  and 
in  a  few  moments  we  were  inside  the  building,  and  by 
the  aid  of  a  lift  reached  the  sixth  story,  and  were  soon  on 
the  little  portico  where,  screened  by  some  large  pillars 
and  comfortably  seated,  we  could  enjoy  the  scene  without 
discomfort  or  annoyance. 

"I  did  not  think  when  we  started  out,"  said  my  com- 
panion, "that  there  was  such  a  pleasure  in  store  for  us. 
We  seem  up  here  to  have  been  translated  into  a  new 
world,  almost  unreal,  composed  of  lights  and  shadows, 
an  unsubstantial  spirit  world,  beautiful,  but  vague  and 
dream-like." 

The  various  feelings  and  emotions  of  her  mind  were 
pictured  on  her  countenance  as  in  a  mirror.    They  added 


72  John  Harvey 

new  grace  and  charm  to  her  appearance,  and  I  did  not 
break  the  spell  by  many  words. 

"Look  at  the  light  shining  on  the  golden-ribbed 
dome  of  the  Administration  Building  and  on  its  white 
walls.  It  seems  like  a  fairy  temple,  like  a  new  Jerusalem, 
like  a  palace  of  snow,  with  window  panes  of  ice.  There 
is  not  a  light  in  any  of  the  windows;  they  have  all  been 
put  out  that  they  might  not  interfere  with  the  effect.  And 
everything  is  so  quiet  here,  one  could  imagine  we  were 
the  only  tenants  of  this  solitude.  We  are  not  over  one 
hundred  feet  above  the  rest  of  the  world,  are  we? — and 
yet  we  are  lifted  above  its  ordinary  life  and  thought.  What 
a  difference  the  point  of  view  and  the  light  one  uses  make 
in  the  result." 

"They  do,  indeed,"  I  answered.  "There  is  an  undis- 
turbed harmony  between  the  spiritual  and  material 
worlds  this  evening.  It  is  I  who  am  obliged  to  you  for 
giving  it  expression." 

"Thank  you,"  she  replied.  "Do  you  know  you  have 
brought  me  very  near  the  scene  of  my  daily  labors?  I 
teach  music  and  languages  to  young  ladies  in  this  very 
building,  on  the  floor  below." 

"I  knew  of  your  musical  but  not  so  much  of  your 
linguistic  accomplishments,"  I  answered.  "Might  I  in- 
quire what  languages  you  most  affect?" 

"Oh,  I  speak  in  various  tongues,"  she  returned, 
"some  pleasant,  some  not  so  pleasant." 

"I  have  listened  to  none  but  what  were  very  pleas- 
ant," I  said.    "A  princess  can  use  no  other." 

"That  shows  how  superficial  your  observation  has 
been,  or  I  may  as  well  be  plain  with  you,  how  little  you 
know  of  princesses,  Mr.  Maxwell.  You  still  have  hopes? 
Well,  you  need  not  tell  me  about  them.  Do  you  see  that 
broad  mirror  of  silver  in  the  setting  of  green  trees  on  the 


The  Illumination  73 

plain  yonder,  and  the  blue  lines  running  to  and  from  it 
like  cords  holding  it  in  place?  That  is  the  lake  and  the 
canal.  See  the  sailboat  skimming  over  its  surface  like  a 
white- winged  bird?  I  am  acquainted  with  that  lake,  Mr. 
Maxwell,  and  I  have  often  taken  boat  rides  on  it.  In 
fact,  some  other  ladies  and  I  have  a  boathouse  there  and 
go  boating  frequently.  So  you  have  learned  of  another 
accomplishment." 

"And  one,  Miss  Clothilde,  in  which  fortunately  I  am 
somewhat  proficient.  Could  you,  or  would  you,  give  or 
accept  an  invitation  to  sail  together  some  evening?" 

"Yes,"  she  answered,  "I  think  we  might  have  a  boat 
ride  some  time;  I  mean  a  quiet  boat  ride.  I  have  been 
out  in  the  larger  boats  when  there  was  much  merriment 
and  laugliter  and  I  have  enjoyed  it,  but  not  so  well  as  in 
a  quieter  way,  when  the  water,  and  the  motion,  and  the 
small  world  of  the  boat,  make  one  happy." 

"I  hope  you  will  accept  an  invitation  from  me,"  I 
said,  "for  some  evening  this  week." 

"No,"  she  returned,  "please  let  me  choose  the  time 
for  the  boat  ride,  and  I  will  not  make  it  soon,  for  the 
mood  in  which  we  are  to-night  will  not  bear  frequent  rep- 
etition." 

"Well,"  I  answered,  "as  you  wish.  But  I  hope  you 
will  let  me  do  the  sailing  and  you  can  do  the  singing." 

"Yes,  I  might  sing  a  little,  and  I  may  preach  to  you 
a  little;  I  can  do  both,  and  I  like  to  exercise  all  my  gifts. 
See  that  cloud  just  passing  over  the  face  of  the  moon? 
Did  you  ever  study  cloud  effects,  Mr.  Maxwell?  Well, 
then,  let  me  advise  you  to  do  so.  We  have  some  of  the 
most  beautiful  cloud  scenery  in  our  skies  ever  witnessed. 
Oh,  no,  not  with  me!  You  could  not  study  cloud  effects 
with  me.  You  must  be  alone.  You  must  observe  the 
size  and  shape  of  your  cloud,  estimate  its  thickness  and 


j a  John  Harvey 

its  vaporous  contents,  note  its  changes  of  color  and  the 
way  the  light  falls  upon  it,  and  follow  it  through  the  sky. 
I  should  only  be  a  divertisement,  inimical  to  real  study. 

"We  ought  to  be  getting  home,  don't  you  think  so, 
Mr.  Maxwell?  How  I  have  chattered  on  this  stony  ledge! 
What  would  the  grave  professors  say  could  they  have 
heard  me?  But  we  started  out  to  be  like  children,  and 
if  you  have  been  quietly  laughing  at  me  you  must  remem- 
ber I  have  been  simply  keeping  up  the  character.  I  have 
enjoyed  it,  though,  and  to-morrow  I  shall  be  as  solemn  as 
a  bishop.    Xow  let  us  go  down,  please." 

We  returned  slowly  toward  the  house.  It  was  late, 
but  the  illumination  still  continued  with  all  its  former 
glory. 

We  passed  by  the  great  vase  in  the  triangular  park, 
spectrally  white  in  the  radiance,  and  crowned  with  shrubs 
and  flowers  which  gave  forth  aromatic  odors  on  the  night 
air,  and  stopped  to  pluck  a  few  roses  from  some  bushes 
near  its  base,  and  then  resumed  our  walk  and  soon 
reached  Miss  Beyresen's  home. 

I  felt  a  strange  sympathy  drawing  me  to  this  bright, 
lovely  and  beautiful  American  girl,  who  had  so  uncon- 
ventionally accompanied  me  this  evening. 

I  walked  back  to  my  hotel  with  a  feeling  of  elation, 
but  once  there  subjected  myself  to  a  rigid  and  severe 
scrutiny. 

I  realized  that  I  had  been  interested  in  the  young 
lady  from  the  moment  I  first  saw  her  on  the  stage.  Some- 
thing, too,  told  me  that  the  feeling  was  reciprocated; 
there  is  a  telegraphy  about  such  things  that  cannot  be 
mistaken. 

Was  I  then  a  boyish  fool?  Was  I,  a  high-born  En- 
glishman, who  had  frequented  European  courts  and  min- 
gled with  writ  and  beauty  in  them,  to  fall  helplessly  in  love 


The  Illumination  75 

with  an  American  girl  of  no  lineage  and  no  distinction, 
except  such  as  her  voice,  manner  and  beauty  had  gained 
for  her? 

Aye,  but  there  was  the  mystery.  I  was  not  the  only 
one  these  graces  had  attracted;  the  whole  city  seemed  to 
know  her  and  be  proud  of  her.  Everywhere  I  had  heard 
her  called  the  princess  and  spoken  of  with  approbation 
and  affection. 

Was  it  nothing  to  win  such  a  woman — if  one  could? 

There  was  something  very  mysterious  about  this 
beautiful  and  gifted  girl  who  was  so  self-possessed  and 
gracious,  who  taught  music  and  languages  daily,  and  who 
owned  one  book  worth  at  least  a  hundred  pounds,  who 
showed  me  the  costliest  engravings  of  my  own  home  and 
its  surroundings,  who  could  entrance  a  multitude  with 
the  magic  of  her  voice  and  manner,  and  chattered  fear- 
lessly alone  with  me  high  up  on  a  stone  balcony,  as  she 
had  done  this  night. 

I  would  restrain  myself;  I  would  wait  and  learn  about 
her. 

I  retired  to  rest,  only  to  dream  of  Clothilde  Beyresen, 
original  and  lovely  as  ever,  sometimes  sitting  on  the 
stone  balcony,  sometimes  in  a  boat  on  the  quiet  lake,  and 
again  clinging  to  me  in  a  storm-tossed  vessel  on  the 
ocean's  broad  expanse. 


CHAPTER  X. 

LEGAL  AND  OTHER    DIFFICULTIES. 

Two  or  three  days  passed  before  I  called  again  at  Mr. 
Beyresen's.  I  thought  much  about  Clothilde,  however, 
and  learned  something  more  of  her  history. 

She  had  only  lived  at  home  since  she  was  eighteen, 
having  until  that  age  resided  in  one  of  the  Eastern  cities. 

She  had  been  received  with  much  favor  in  Neuropo- 
lis,  and  her  appearance  on  the  stage  had  created  a  furore 
which  she  had  put  down  with  great  good  sense,  by  de- 
clining any  marked  attention.  She  seldom  sang  in  public 
now,  but  devoted  herself  assiduously  to  her  work  in  the 
university. 

She  enjoyed  walking,  riding,  boating  and  other  ath- 
letic exercises,  went  a  good  deal  into  society,  where  she 
was  very  popular,  and  was,  in  short,  a  high-spirited,  good, 
and  wonderfully  gifted  young  lady. 

I  inquired  no  further;  indeed,  so  great  had  become 
my  faith  and  interest  in  her  that  I  had  felt  like  a  culprit 
in  inquiring  at  all ;  I  seemed  to  be  unworthily  seeking  for 
information  in  regard  to  a  confiding  friend. 

When  I  went  again  to  Mr.  Beyresen's  I  found  the 
family  all  together  and  cordial  and  pleasant  as  usual. 
Mrs.  Beyresen,  however,  soon  excused  herself,  having 
some  duties  which  demanded  her  attention,  and  Mr.  Bey- 
resen beg-an  to  talk  to  me  about  the  controversies  between 
the  Nationality  and  the  citizens  of  other  states.  He  re- 
ferred to  the  alleged  grievances  which  I  have  already 

76 


Legal  and  Other  Difficulties  77 

stated  to  the  reader,  and  in  addition  gave  me  the  history 
of  another  difficulty  of  far  graver  character. 

The  United  States  court  of  highest  appeal,  he  in- 
formed me,  had  after  a  long  and  bitter  legal  contention 
rendered  final  judgment  against  the  Nationality  for  a 
sum  amounting  to  more  than  one  hundred  million  dol- 
lars. 

This  judgment  was  based  on  claims  against  the  Na- 
tionality, made  by  a  large  number  of  persons,  who  had 
been  tenants  of  the  company  controlling  the  settlement 
of  the  land  before  the  organization  of  that  body. 

These  persons  had  rented  portions  of  these  lands  for 
a  year,  or  more,  but  for  various  causes  being  considered 
by  the  company  undesirable  tenants,  had  been  refused 
permission  to  occupy  them  any  longer. 

They  had  therefore  removed  to  other  states.  The 
company  was  soon  after  succeeded  by  the  Nationality, 
of  which  the  tenants  remaining  became  citizens,  with  cer- 
tain rights  and  privileges  guaranteed  them,  chief  among 
which  was  the  support  of  themselves  and  their  families 
after  a  certain  age. 

The  former  tenants  claimed  they  had  been  wronged 
by  the  refusal  of  the  company  to  rent  lands  to  them,  and 
their  consequent  inability  to  remain  and  enjoy  the  advan- 
tages afforded  by  the  new  organization,  and  demanded 
pecuniary  recompense. 

Their  grievances  were  fostered  and  their  demands 
encouraged  by  astute  and  cunning  men,  who  saw  in  them 
an  opportunity  of  harassing  the  Nationality  and  securing 
gain  for  themselves. 

A  corporation  of  wealthy  capitalists  was  formed  in 
the  Eastern  states,  and  in  Europe,  for  the  purpose  of  deal- 

in  these  claims,  which  from  time  to  time  purchased 
them  fr<  >m  the  original  tenants  at  a  merely  nominal  price. 


78  John  Harvey 

This  corporation,  many  years  before,  had  brought 
suit  against  the  Nationality  on  these  demands,  maintain- 
ing that  the  latter  body  succeeded  to  all  liabilities  of  the 
first  company.  They  employed  eminent  counsel,  and  the 
officers  of  the  Nationality  did  likewise. 

This  suit  began  in  the  lower  courts  of  the  United 
States,  and  was  fought  step  by  step  up  to  the  highest  trib- 
unal, which  had  just  rendered  the  judgment  of  which  Mr. 
Beyresen  spoke.  Continuing  the  subject,  he  informed 
me  that  the  officers  of  the  Nationality  did  not  consider 
themselves  authorized  to  pay  the  judgment  without  sub- 
mitting the  matter  to  their  people,  and  had  applied  for  a 
stay  of  execution  to  enable  them  to  do  so,  and  the  indi- 
cations were  that  it  would  not  be  granted. 

"The  rendition  of  this  judgment,  however,"  said  he, 
"means  far  more  than  the  payment  of  this  amount.  It 
means  that  the  courts  of  the  land  are  under  the  control 
of  the  Money  Power,  which  always  has  been  and  always 
will  be  our  inveterate  foe.  It  means  that  all  the  other 
issues  supposed  to  have  been  settled  by  former  decisions 
will  be  speedily  reopened.  The  right  of  the  people,  or  any 
part  of  the  people,  to  issue  obligatory  certificates  of  in- 
debtedness, which  by  mutual  agreement,  shall  take  the 
place  of  money,  will  be  again  questioned.  Their  right, 
by  like  agreement,  to  refrain  from  using  among  them- 
selves what  currently  passes  as  money  in  the  United 
States,  will  again  be  denied.  Our  system  of  state  owner- 
ship will  again  be  controverted.  All  these  attacks  will  be 
made  so  insidiously  and  covertly  that  constant  embar- 
rassment will  be  placed  in  the  way  of  our  progress,  peace 
and  happiness. 

"The  battle  between  the  people  and  plutocracy  has 
been  set  for  years,  and  the  borders  of  our  Nationality 
define  the  line  between  the  contending  forces.    The  power 


Legal  and  Other  Difficulties  79 

of  money  is  enormous.  It  is  compact  and  aggressive.  It 
is  vigilant,  alert,  resourceful  and  unscrupulous.  It  at- 
tracts the  brightest  and  most  influential  to  its  side.  The 
people  beyond  our  borders  revolt  at  its  debasing  rule,  but 
are  none  the  less  subjugated  by  it.  It  is  even  now  at- 
tempting to  create  divisions  among  our  own  people. 
There  are  agents  of  the  Money  Power  in  our  towns  and 
cities  to-day,  endeavoring  to  alienate  their  affections  from 
this  form  of  government.  But  they  have  as  yet  had  no 
success,  I  am  proud  to  say ;  for  our  people  are  well  satis- 
fied, and  true  to  that  government  and  labor  system  which 
has  saved  them  from  the  evils,  and  sufferings,  and  vas- 
salage, which  is  the  lot  of  their  Eastern  brethren. 

"The  battle  which  is  to  be  fought,  Mr.  Maxwell,  will 
be  a  struggle  of  giants,  and  will  involve  more  of  weal  or 
woe  to  the  American  people  than  any  in  which  they  have 
hitherto  engaged.  It  is  a  conflict,  sir,  between  systems 
which  are  antagonistic,  and  one  or  other  of  them  must 
fall.  It  seems  to  me  as  irrepressible  a  conflict  as  that  of 
i860,  and  like  that,  to  be  about  industrial  slavery. 

"The  battlefield  hitherto  has  been  the  courts;  it  re- 
mains to  be  seen  whether  it  will  hereafter  be  confined  to 
them.  Prior  to  i860,  our  courts  were  not  conducted  in 
the  interests  of  freedom;  it  will  soon  be  seen  how  they  are 
controlled  to-day. 

"But  whatever  the  battlefield,  I  am  sure,  Mr.  Max- 
well, victory  will  finally  be  ours.  We  are  united  and  will 
wait,  if  waiting  be  possible.  We  shall  quickly  become 
stronger.  The  people,  in  other  states,  are  daily  growing 
more  dissatisfied  with  their  condition.  Those  nearest  us, 
and  who  know  us  best,  are  with  us.  The  great  states  of 
Texas,  Arkansas,  Missouri  and  Oklahoma  will  soon  join 
us  and  will  add  largely  to  our  population.  Their  people 
have  seen  the  blessings  of  our  system  of  labor  and  govern- 


80  John  Harvey 

ment  and  are  overwhelmingly  in  favor  of  it.  We  shall 
soon  be  so  strong  that  the  argument  of  numbers  will  be 
with  us.  This  is  what  the  Money  Power  fears.  This  is 
why  it  has  latterly  pushed  this  controversy,  which  has 
been  allowed  to  drag  along  since  the  days  of  John  Har- 
vey. Ever  since  his  time  it  has  viewed  us  with  suspicion 
and  distrust." 

"Is  it  not  unfortunate,"  said  I,  "that  the  man  whom 
you  regard  as  the  founder  of  the  Nationality  should  have 
given  so  much  cause  for  suspicion  and  distrust,  by  acts 
that  can  scarcely  be  defended  with  any  show  of  success 
in  any  civilized  land?" 

Mr.  Beyresen  looked  somewhat  surprised,  but  I  con- 
tinued: "Do  you  think  it  wise,  sir,  in  view  of  a  struggle 
such  as  you  deem  approaching,  to  give  so  much  promi- 
nence to  the  memory  and  attract  so  much  attention  to  the 
deeds  of  this  pioneer  of  your  earlier  days?  I  am  an  En- 
glishman, not,  I  trust,  without  great  interest  in  the  social 
reforms  of  the  age  and  a  newly  awakened  hope  for  the 
success  of  your  form  of  government,  but  were  I  to  advo- 
cate your  cause  in  England  I  dare  not  mention  John  Har- 
vey's name,  for  he  is  there  considered  as  a  murderer,  a 
pirate,  and  a  buccaneer.  I  should  assuredly  choose  some 
other  person  among  your  pioneers  as  the  representative 
of  your  principles  and  government." 

Toward  the  latter  portion  of  my  remarks  Mr.  Bey- 
resen had  been  seized  with  a  violent  fit  of  coughing  which 
interfered  somewhat  with  them,  and  caused  me  to  raise 
my  voice  rather  higher  than  usual.  He  rose  hurriedly  as 
if  still  struggling  with  his  bronchial  difficulty,  and  saying, 
"Excuse  me,  sir,  my  daughter  will  answer  you;  you  need 
to  know  John  Harvey's  history  better,"  left  the  room,  fol- 
lowed at  once  by  Miss  Anna,  who  seemed  much  con- 
cerned at  her  father's  condition. 


Legal  and  Other  Difficulties  81 

Somewhat  disconcerted  by  this  sudden  flight,  I 
looked  toward  the  elder  daughter  and  was  still  more  con- 
fused when  I  saw  the  change  in  her  appearance  and  man- 
ner. 

She  had  turned  and  now  sat  facing  me,  upright  as  a 
statue,  her  eyes,  blazing  like  coals  of  fire,  fixed  full  upon 
me.  Her  face  was  pale,  but  a  vivid  red  spot  glowed  in 
each  cheek.  Her  lips  were  slightly  parted,  but  her  white 
teeth  were  clinched  together,  while  her  small,  shapely 
hands  grasped  tightly  the  arms  of  the  easy-chair  in  which 
she  sat.  She  seemed  struggling  to  control  herself  in  a 
passion  of  almost  ungovernable  anger,  of  which  I  was 
plainly  the  object,  for  her  eyes  never  left  mine.  It  seemed 
difficult  for  her  to  keep  her  seat  or  to  find  voice  or  words. 

To  say  I  was  astonished  beyond  measure,  and  per- 
plexed and  troubled,  would  'be  to  put  it  lightly;  but  I  am 
not  of  slow  perceptions,  and  comprehended  that  it  was  as 
necessary  for  me  to  be  still  and  composed,  and  await 
events,  as  if  I  faced  an  angry  lioness. 

Finally  she  found  voice,  low  at  first  and  emphatic, 
but  musical,  and  how  bitter  and  contemptuous! 

"I  shall  not,"  she  said,  "accept  the  task  my  father 
has  thrown  upon  me  and  defend  John  Harvey's  memory. 
My  father  knew  him  as  a  personal  friend  and  could  have 
done  it  had  he  chosen.  But  I  will  not  sit  by  and  hear  an 
Englishman  cast  aspersions  upon  John  Harvey's  name 
without  suitable  reply.  Who  are  you  who  sit  in  high  and 
mighty  judgment  upon  the  character  of  a  man  whose 
shoe-latchet  you  are  not  worthy  to  untie?  What  have 
you,  an  idler  as  you  are,  ever  done  to  enable  you  even  to 
pass  an  opinion  on  the  acts  of  one  whose  beneficence  has 
blessed  ten  millions  of  fellow-beings? 

"I  will  tell  you  who  you  are,  and  what  your  kind  has 
done,  that  you  may  rightly  estimate  your  own  impor- 


82  John  Harvey 

tance.  You  are  a  descendant  of  a  line  of  Anglo-Saxons, 
Danes,  and  Normans,  whose  hands  were  red,  constantly 
red,  with  the  blood  of  their  fellow-men  and  women;  to 
whom  pillage,  piracy,  robbery,  murder,  and  all  crimes, 
even  among  their  kings  and  nobles,  were  everyday  oc- 
currences, who,  like  beasts  of  prey,  ravaged  all  lands  and 
all  seas,  and  brought  distress  and  woe  wherever  they  went. 
And  what  are  you  now  in  this  twentieth  century,  when 
such  crimes  would  meet  with  condign  and  merited  pun- 
ishment? Too  few  to  govern  the  world  by  the  sword, 
you  have  erected  a  golden  image  of  which  you  are  the 
high  priests,  and  whose  worship  you  recommend  to  all 
mankind,  and  like  the  Ephesians  of  old,  when  your  di- 
vinity is  assailed,  when  your  pockets  are  touched,  you  are 
ready  to  cry  out  and  vilify  and  abuse  the  apostles  of  free- 
dom; as  you  yourself,  a  descendant  of  such  a  race,  have 
unjustly  and  unkindly  done  to-night.  John  Harvey  and 
Herbert  Maxwell,  the  philanthropist  and  the  idler,  oc- 
cupy very  different  spheres.  I  will  choose  the  former, 
and  my  father  can  dispose  of  the  latter.  I  will  send  him 
to  you  again,"  she  said  scornfully,  and  she  departed. 

It  is  impossible  to  describe  the  mortification,  suffer- 
ing, and  misery  I  endured  during  this  tirade,  and,  though 
trying  to  seem  composed,  I  presume  I  must  have  shown 
it.  Toward  its  termination  the  young  lady  had  arisen 
and  stood  near  me,  gesticulating  freely.  She  was  terribly 
angry,  and  yet  graceful  and  quick  in  every  movement,  and 
I  felt  it  impossible  to  turn  away  or  even  avoid  her  look. 
She  was  laboring  under  great  excitement,  but  able  to  ex- 
press her  sentiments  in  words  as  easily  as  she  had  on  the 
evening  of  the  illumination.  But  oh,  how  different! 
Then  she  was  the  charming  comrade  and  companion; 
now  she  was  Nemesis  herself. 

A  few  minutes  later  the  door  opened  and  Mr.  Bey- 


Legal  and  Other  Difficulties  83 

resen  entered.  He  was  looking  toward  the  floor,  and, 
rubbing  his  hands  in  a  hesitating  and  nervous  manner, 
and  seemed  as  much  embarrassed  as  was  I. 

I  rose  to  my  feet,  but  he  said:  "Pray  take  your  seat 
a  few  moments,  Mr.  Maxwell,  and  let  us  talk  this  matter 
over.  I  do  not  know  exactly  wrhat  my  daughter  has  said 
to  you,  but  I  imagine  it  was  nothing  pleasant.  I  do  not 
want  to  know  either,"  he  interrupted,  as  I  was  about  to 
make  some  explanation.  "I  saw  it  was  coming  and  I  left 
the  room.  Excuse  me  for  doing  so,  but  these  unfortunate 
occurrences  are  better  without  witnesses.  I  could  not 
stop  it.  I  might  as  well  have  tried  to  stop  a  hurricane. 
My  daughter,  sir,  is  a  great  friend  of  John  Harvey,  and 
you  did  not  understand  this." 

"My  allusion,"  I  replied,  "was  very  unfortunate. 
But  I  certainly  did  not  understand  either  your  friendship 
or  your  daughter's  for  that  individual,  or  I  should  have 
been  more  careful.  I  spoke  according  to  my  knowledge 
of  him." 

"Your  knowledge  of  him  was  imperfect  or  very  lim- 
ited," he  answered.  "He  was  a  many-sided  man;  he  was 
a  great  man,  Air.  Maxwell.  But  we  will  say  no  more  of 
him  now.  Clothilde  is  a  good  girl;  I  cannot  make  ex- 
cuses for  her.  You  do  not  know  her  provocation,  and  I 
must  deal  justly  with  you  both." 

"But  what,"  I  exclaimed,  "am  I  to  do,  Air.  Beyresen? 
I  have  visited  at  your  house,  and  you  all,  including  your 
elder  daughter,  have  been  very  friendly  with  me,  and  I 
am  distressed.  She  made  it  plain  to  me  that  it  was  im- 
possible to  meet  her  on  the  former  footing.  She  was 
cruel,  Air.  Beyresen,  though  she  may  not  know  it." 

"She  does  know  perfectly,  Air.  Alaxwell,"  he  answer- 
ed. "She  knows  all  she  said.  She  has  a  very  exact  mem- 
ory." 


84  John  Harvey 

"Well,  will  you  speak  to  her,  and  explain,  or  get  me 
an  opportunity  to  explain  my  blunder?"  I  asked. 

"God  forbid,"  said  the  old  gentleman.  "You  and 
she  must  mend  this  matter.  I  never  shall  say  a  word. 
I  know  that  Clothilde  will  think  it  over,  and  if  she  has  said 
too  much  she  will  let  you  know  it  somehow.  She  is  a  girl 
of  fine  judgment.  I  never  before  saw  her  so  extremely 
angry.  As  for  me  I  cannot  say  a  word  to  her.  She 
chooses  her  own  companions ;  she  does  about  as  she  likes, 
and  seldom  makes  mistakes.  She  is  a  royal  woman  and 
should  be  treated  as  such.  Call  to  see  us  if  you  can,"  he 
continued;  "we  wish  you  to  do  so.  You  will  either  find 
Clothilde  gone,  or  she  will  be  friendly.  If  she  has  been 
unjust  she  will  repent  of  it,  I  know." 

And  so  with  a  "God  bless  you"  from  the  old  gentle- 
man, who  seemed  as  concerned  and  as  helpless  as  I  was, 
I  left  the  house. 

During  the  succeeding  days  I  was  constantly  recur- 
ring to  the  scene  of  my  late  discomfiture.  I  inquired 
somewhat  further  into  the  history  of  John  Harvey,  and 
learned  that  while  he  had  been  guilty  of  all  I  had  attrib- 
uted to  him,  yet  he  was  indeed  a  many-sided  man,  and 
really  the  founder  of  the  Nationality. 

I  had  several  talks  with  Mr.  Beyresen  at  his  office, 
but  he  carefully  refrained  from  any  allusion  to  the  late  un- 
pleasantness, merely  saying  as  I  left  him,  "Come  and  see 
us  when  you  can." 

But  I  could  not.  I  had  written  a  note  to  his  daugh- 
ter, asking  her  for  an  opportunity  to  explain,  but  beyond 
a  polite  acknowledgment  of  receipt  and  an  expressed 
doubt  as  to  whether  I  could  explain,  the  note  contained 
nothing  except  these  words  at  the  end,  "Wait  a  bit," 
which  seemed  to  me  to  promise  something. 


CHAPTER  XL 

THE  LAND  AXD  THE  PEOPLE. 

Very  shortly  after  the  events  narated  in  the  preceding 
chapter  I  made  a  somewhat  prolonged  tour  throughout 
the  plains,  or  agricultural  portion  of  the  Nationality,  my 
object  being  to  learn  all  I  could  about  these  regions,  and 
to  study  the  character,  habits  and  condition  of  the  people 
in  them,  especially  so  far  as  they  were  affected  by  the 
peculiar  system  of  government  under  which  they  lived. 

In  these  regions  it  seldom  rains,  except  in  the  early 
spring,  and  not  at  any  time  in  quantity  sufficient  to  ma- 
ture crops.  During  the  winter,  however,  a  great  amount 
of  snow  is  deposited  upon  the  sides  and  tops  of  the  moun- 
tains to  the  westward,  where,  sheltered  in  their  deep 
gorges,  it  melts  slowly  until  the  middle  of  the  summer, 
when  the  process  becomes  more  rapid.  Then  the  small 
rivers  of  the  land,  few  in  number  and  widely  separated, 
all  having  their  sources  among  the  mountains,  attain  their 
flood  height.  These,  after  reaching  the  plain,  trend  in  an 
easterly  direction.  At  no  time  do  they  contain  water  sufn- 
cien  to  fill  the  wide  beds  hollowed  out  ages  ago,  when  in- 
deed they  were  mighty  rivers  emptying  probably  into  an 
inland  ocean  occupying  a  large  portion  of  these  plains. 
The  water  in  them,  when  taken  out  by  artificial  channels, 
was  only  sufficient  to  irrigate  a  narrow  fringe  of  land  lying 
within  a  few  miles  of  their  borders. 

The  experiments  thus  made,  however,  demonstrated 
that  these  plains,  sloping  gently  from  the  mountains  to 

8s 


86  John  Harvey 

the  eastward,  were  capable  of  extensive  irrigation,  and 
that  when  irrigated  they  were  very  fertile. 

About  thirty  years  previous  to  the  time  of  which  I 
write,  a  system  for  watering  them  had  been  begun  by  the 
construction  of  the  great  canal  before  spoken  of,  which 
ran  from  the  north  in  a  southerly  direction,  along,  or  near 
the  base  of  the  mountains,  for  many  hundreds  of  miles. 
Several  large  branches,  in  themselves  small  rivers,  ex- 
tended from  it  eastward  along  the  summits  of  the  water 
sheds  of  the  rivers  just  mentioned. 

From  these  branches,  or  laterals,  as  they  were  called, 
numerous  smaller  canals,  or  ditches,  took  the  water  and 
distributed  it  all  over  the  land.  During  the  succeeding 
years  these  artificial  channels  had  been  extended  and  mul- 
tiplied until  now  the  whole  constituted  the  most  com- 
plete and  extensive  scheme  of  irrigation  to  be  found  upon 
the  surface  of  the  globe;  a  great  arterial  system  fully  as 
essential  to  the  nurture  and  development  of  these  regions 
as  that  of  the  human  body  is  to  human  life. 

The  railroads  were  a  feature  that  at  once  attracted  my 
attention.  As  has  been  before  stated  the  unit  of  division 
of  the  land  was  the  township,  twelve  miles  square.  Near 
the  center  of  each  of  these  a  village  had  been  built,  in 
which  all  of  its  inhabitants  lived,  and  these  villages  were 
connected  by  railroads  running  north,  south,  east  and 
west,  generally  in  direct  lines  from  one  to  another,  until 
they  finally  merged  in  great  trunk  roads  communicating 
with  the  metropolis  and  the  larger  cities  of  the  National- 
ity, and  with  the  other  portions  of  the  United  States.  The 
system  resembled  the  meshes  of  a  great  net,  stretched 
regularly  and  carefully  over  the  land,  with  occasional 
stronger  cords  crossing  it  in  other  directions  leading  to 
larger  knots  and  ganglions,  and  its  convenience  and  com- 
pleteness for  all  purposes  of  transportation  could  hardly 


The  Land  and  the  People  87 

be  estimated.  The  propulsive  force  employed  was  elec- 
tricity, which  was  generated  at,  and  distributed  from,  nu- 
merous places  in  the  mountains  and  on  the  plains,  where 
abundant  water  power,  or  great  beds  of  coal,  made  its 
production  easy  and  inexpensive.  The  possibilities  of 
this  strange  agency  had  been  wonderfully  realized  in  this 
land  and  in  my  journey  through  it,  recalling  my  imagina- 
tion of  the  genii  of  the  east,  I  saw  them  typified  in  this 
mysterious  force,  which  was  performing  in  every  home, 
in  every  workshop,  and  in  the  open  fields,  rapidly  and 
successfully,  a  great  part  of  the  hard  labor  which  had 
formerly  been  accomplished  only  by  long  continued  hu- 
man toil. 

Everything  was  so  unusual,  so  ethereal,  and  so  beau- 
tiful, that  my  brightest  fancies  of  an  ideal  land  were  real- 
ized. The  railway  and  the  public  road  for  vehicles  gen- 
erally accompanying  it,  were  bordered  on  each  side 
by  tall  trees,  trimmed  so  as  not  to  obstruct  the  view,  which 
was  ever  changing  and  far-reaching  and  most  delightful. 
Broad  meadows  and  pastures,  and  extensive  orchards 
and  groves  of  trees,  clothed  the  earth  with  varying  shades 
of  green.  Acres  of  maize  tossed  their  long  leaves,  and 
waved  their  tasseled  plumage  in  the  gentle  breeze;  and 
great  fields  of  golden  grain  yet  unreaped  gave  richness 
of  coloring;  to  the  scene,  while  distant  lakes  added  their 
ethereal  blue  to  idealize  and  lighten  it. 

Every  portion  of  the  land  showed  intelligent  atten- 
tion and  loving  care.  No  fences,  nor  unsightly  objects 
of  any  character  marred  it.  All  noxious  growth  and 
things  inimical  to  thorough  cultivation,  'or  offensive  to 
the  senses  or  repellent  to  ascetic  tastes,  had  been  re- 
moved. Wherever  for  any  reason  the  soil  was  unfit  for 
cultivation  it  had  been  set  in  trees,  and  at  the  angles 
where  the  townships  joined  each  other,  forests  had  been 


88  John  Harvey 

planted  four  miles  square,  in  which  were  deer,  elk,  grouse, 
quail  and  other  game,  all  carefully  protected  and  pre- 
served. These  forests  gave  wonderful  variety  and  interest 
to  the  landscape,  and  exercised  a  very  beneficial  influence 
on  the  climatology  of  the  country,  and  afforded  places  for 
quiet  recreation  and  enjoyment. 

In  the  distance,  villages  and  towns  dotted  here  and 
there  upon  the  landscape,  succeeded  one  another,  con- 
nected by  the  ever  present  railroads  that  bore  the  produce 
of  the  land  upon  their  steel  net  work  to  its  more  populous 
cities  and  to  foreign  countries. 

As  I  gazed  from  the  car  windows  on  these  scenes  of 
rural  beauty  and  life  and  activity,  I  realized  the  perfection 
which  Nature  can  attain  when  assisted  and  directed  in 
her  work  by  the  intelligence  of  man,  and  wondered  how 
it  had  been  possible  for  this  people  in  so  short  a  time  to  so 
thoroughly  awaken  her  dormant  energies. 

As  we  approached  the  villages,  the  wide-spreading 
fields  and  pastures  were  superseded  by  lesser  areas  de- 
voted to  orchards,  small  fruits  and  gardens.  When  we 
reached  them,  the  quiet  grace,  comfort  and  adornment 
of  their  dwellings,  embowered  in  shade  and  surrounded 
by  well-kept  lawns  and  walks,  and  the  artistic  beauty  of 
their  public  grounds  and  buildings,  so  unexpected  in 
places  so  remote  from  cities,  continually  astonished  me. 

I  stopped  at  several  of  these  villages  and  district 
towns  and  spent  some  time  in  gaining  an  acquaintance 
with  the  practical  workings  of  this  new  governmental  and 
labor  system. 

The  department  chiefs  at  Neuropolis,  it  appeared, 
made  yearly  estimates  of  the  kinds  and  quantities  of  the 
various  products  required  for  home  consumption  and  for 
sale.  They  were  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  capabil- 
ities of  each  district  for  certain  purposes,  and  their  direc- 


The  Land  and  the  People  89 

tions  to  the  district  officers  in  respect  to  labor  and  the  na- 
ture of  production  were  governed  by  this  knowledge.  The 
latter  controlled  the  execution  of  these  orders,  and  di- 
vided the  work  judiciously  among  their  townships.  The 
labor  directors,  each  in  charge  of  a  certain  portion  of  the 
land,  or  a  certain  department  of  labor,  arranged  it  and 
saw  that  it  was  properly  done. 

All  products  of  farm,  mine,  forest  and  stream  were 
taken  to  public  yards,  or  warehouses,  and  properly 
weighed,  measured,  or  numbered,  and  the  surplus  prod- 
ucts intended  for  sale  were  shipped  to  Neuropolis,  and  of 
the  remainder,  a  sufficient  portion  was  retained  for  home 
consumption,  while  the  rest  was  kept  in  the  district  ware- 
houses for  use  in  other  portions  of  the  Nationality.  All 
cereals  requiring  further  preparation  were  sent  to  large 
mills  located  at  certain  points,  and  all  animals  intended 
for  slaughter  were  conveyed  to  other  places,  where  such 
operations  were  conducted  on  a  scale  of  great  magnitude 
and  with  the  closest  economy. 

In  each  village  a  thorough  system  of  accounts  was 
maintained,  and  in  the  district  towns  accounts  were  kept 
with  each  village,  with  other  districts  and  with  Neuropo- 
lis, and  in  the  latter  place  with  all  the  districts,  and  with 
the  outside  world. 

From  the  books  in  the  various  departments  of  state 
could  be  obtained  a  complete  history  of  the  character  and 
value  of  the  products  of  every  township  of  the  Nation- 
ality, from  its  first  organization  down  to  the  present  time, 
the  disposal  made  of  them,  and  everything  regarding 
them.  Any  failure  in  production  was  at  once  noted  and 
its  causes  carefully  ascertained  and,  if  possible,  removed. 

Thus  a  comprehensive  system  of  intelligent  and  emi- 
nently successful  labor  and  production  was  maintained; 
continually  improving  in  thoroughness  and  effectiveness, 


go  John  Harvey 

because  the  best  brain  and  skill  of  the  land  were  enlisted 
in  its  service.  The  hours  of  labor  were  not  long,  and 
those  engaged  in  it  at  a  distance  from  their  homes  em- 
ployed the  railroads  in  conveyance  to  and  from  their 
work,  and  every  facility  for  its  easy,  prompt,  and  complete 
performance  was  afforded  them. 

Co-operation  and  equality  were  the  keynotes  of  the 
system.  The  people  worked  together  happily  and  con- 
tentedly under  the  direction  of  their  own  elective  officers, 
who  labored  with  them  and  were  in  turn  governed,  as  to 
general  objects,  methods  and  results,  by  established  rules, 
and  subject  to  still  higher  officers.  Labor  was  made  hon- 
orable ;  the  way  to  office  and  preferment  lay  in  doing  good 
and  effective  work,  and  planning  and  directing  for  the 
general  welfare. 

Education  formed  a  separate  department,  employing 
the  best  minds  in  perfecting  its  methods  and  advancing 
its  interests.  The  public  schools,  especially,  were  zeal- 
ously protected,  and  carefully  supported.  In  each  village 
ample  accommodations  were  provided  for  free  instruc- 
tion up  to  academic  grades,  and  other  public  schools  of 
more  special  character,  where  trades  were  taught,  were 
located  in  the  district  towns.  In  the  larger  cities  and  in 
Neuropolis,  as  has  been  stated,  still  greater  schools  ex- 
isted, where  the  pupil  could  be  educated  in  any  branches 
or  professions. 

The  stores  were  managed  singularly,  samples  only 
being  shown  with  prices  marked,  the  goods  being  just 
as  represented.  When  ordered  they  were  paid  for,  and  if 
the  order  was  for  something  not  in  stock,  it  was  selected, 
often  from  a  catalogue,  and  sent  for  promptly.  The 
prices  were  much  lower  than  in  other  countries,  and  no 
effort  was  made  to  sell  goods,  the  quantity  sold  being 
a  matter  of  indifference  to  all  except  the  purchaser.    A 


The  Land  and  the  People  91 

general  manager,  three  or  four  clerks  and  as  many  de- 
livery  men  and  roustabouts,  were  all  the  persons  em- 

d  in  the  conduct  of  a  business  that  under  other  sys- 
tems would  have  required  several  times  this  number. 

Ample  time  remained  to  the  people  for  recreation, 
for  social  diversion,  or  for  enjoyment  in  the  family  circle. 
Public  libraries  and  reading-rooms,  theaters,  parks  and 
similar  resorts  were  always  open  to  them,  and  were  con- 
stantly filled  by  those  seeking  instruction,  or  amuse- 
ment. 

Houses  of  worship  were  among  the  most  prominent 
buildings  in  all  the  villages  and  towns.  They  were  erected 
and  owned  by  the  state.  The  churches  were  sustained, 
however,  by  the  voluntary  contributions  of  the  members. 
The  people,  not  overwearied  in  mind,  or  body,  by  the 
cares  and  labors  of  the  week,  rilled  these  temples  every 
Sabbath,  and  learned  those  lessons  which  inculcate  a 
higher  than  mere  human  responsibility,  and  observed  the 
day  as  one  dedicated  to  God's  service,  and  not  to  mere 
mental  and  physical  recuperation. 

Crime  was  scant.  The  establishment  of  government 
ownership,  the  disuse  of  money,  and  abolishment  of  pri- 
vate accumulation,  had  blotted  from  the  calendar  all 
crimes  connected  with  the  love  of  gain.  The  manufac- 
ture and  sale  of  intoxicants  as  a  beverage  ceased,  as  a 
consequence  of  the  former  action,  and  wrought  nearly 
as  much  diminution  in  crime,  and  only  that  arising  from 
the  ordinary  and  unstimulated  passions  of  mankind  re- 
mained, and  was  rendered  far  less  frequent  by  assured 
employment  and  the  removal  of  the  insidious  temptations 
of  poverty  and  want. 

The  loyalty  of  the  people  to  their  government  and 
land  seemed  most  intense,  and  as  I  journeyed  through  it 
and  saw  its  richness,  its  beauty,  its  peacefulness,  its  at- 


92  John  Harvey 

tractiveness,  and  promise  of  present  and  future  comfort, 
guaranteed  by  governmental  authority,  I  felt  they  had 
just  cause  for  pride  and  patriotism.  Under  other  systems, 
livelihood  and  comfort  and  advantages  were  sought  after 
for  years,  unremittingly,  unintelligently,  painfully  and 
often  unsuccessfully.  Man  fought  man  in  an  unceasing 
struggle  and  crime  was  a  constant  and  necessary  concom- 
itant. Men  failed  in  honest  endeavor,  and  with  their  fam- 
ilies suffered,  and  many  sinned. 

The  Nationality  said  to  its  citizens:  "The  People 
collectively  offer  to  you  and  each  of  you  the  opportunity 
to  work,  during  reasonable  'hours,  intelligently  and  with 
the  best  appliances.  You  shall  not  fail  if  we  can  help  it. 
You  have  our  assurance  of  success  in  providing  for  your- 
selves and  your  families.  If  you  are  sick,  or  otherwise 
incapacitated  for  labor,  you  still  have  that  assurance,  not 
as  a  charity,  but  as  a  matter  of  right." 

As  a  consequence  men  worked  better,  more  buoy- 
antly and  cheerfully  than  elsewhere.  They  looked  freer 
and  more  independent.  They  lived  in  more  comfort,  had 
more  time  for  study,  and  were  more  intelligent  and  capa- 
ble than  elsewhere. 

Fully  as  much  might  be  said  of  the  women.  They 
were  strong,  and  bright,  and  happy,  and  many  of  them 
were  of  high  culture  and  refinement.  I  could  tell  now 
whence  came  the  bright,  healthy  and  intelligent  men  and 
women  I  had  seen  in  the  metropolis.  They  came  from 
pleasant  and  refined  homes  and  families  in  these  towns 
and  villages,  replete  with  the  strength  derived  from  pure 
nir  and  proper  exercise,  and  animated  by  the  integrity 
and  'happiness  obtained  by  earnest  endeavor  for  honest 
objects. 

After  spending  much  time  in  these  rUral  regions  I 
proceeded  on  my  way,  by  rail,  to  visit  Sterling,  one  of 


The  Land  and  the  People  93 

the  large  manufacturing  cities  located  on  the  South  Platte 
River,  intending  from  thence  to  return  to  Neuropolis, 
stopping  on  my  road  to  examine  the  celebrated  bridge, 
or  aqueduct,  which  carries  the  waters  of  the  great  canal 
over  the  bed  of  that  river. 

We  passed  through  an  agricultural  country  much 
the  same  as  that  I  have  already  described,  until  we  ap- 
proached within  thirty  miles  of  the  river,  when  the  extent 
of  forest  became  greater. 

Wide-spreading  sand  dunes  had  formerly  rendered 
this  section  of  country  barren,  and  these  forests  had  been 
planted  to  protect  it  from  further  innovation,  and  to  re- 
claim it.  This  had  been  done  so  successfully  that  but  little 
evidence  of  the  shifting  nature  of  the  soil  remained,  and 
in  the  intervals  among  the  forests  herds  of  cattle  as  fine  as 
I  had  ever  seen  were  now  grazing. 

When  we  arrived  within  view  of  the  river  the  singu- 
larity of  its  appearance  attracted  my  attention.  It  was 
crossed,  at  distances  of  from  two  to  three  miles  apart,  by 
dams  from  twenty  to  forty  feet  in  height,  which  made  a 
succession  of  terraced  lakes,  or  sheets  of  water.  From 
these,  canals  were  carried  out  upon  the  banks  for  irrigat- 
ing the  lands  adjoining,  and  the  water  power  furnished 
by  these  dams  was  used  for  various  purposes. 

Late  in  the  evening  we  reached  Sterling,  situated 
in  the  valley  of  the  South  Platte  and  containing  nearly 
fifty  thousand  inhabitants.  Being  quite  fatigued,  I  re- 
tired to  rest  soon  after  my  arrival.  When  I  awoke  next 
morning  it  was  late,  and  after  breakfast  I  set  out  to  visit 
some  of  the  great  manufactories  of  the  place,  consisting 
of  flouring  mills,  glass  and  brick  works,  and  potteries  for 
producing  terra  cotta,  tile,  and  other  articles  from  clay. 

A  trunk  railway  ran  to  and  from  this  city,  and  a 
massive  dam  thrown  across  the  river  formed  a  large  lake, 


g/j.  John  Harvey 

and  furnished  power  for  the  greatest  flouring  mills  I  had 
ever  seen.  I  was  shown  through  them  and  was  much 
interested  in  the  statistics  of  their  annual  production, 
which  was  so  great  that  I  remember  entering  into  a 
mental  calculation  of  how  many  people  their  output  would 
feed,  and  it  was  several  millions.  A  large  part  of  the  flour 
and  other  products  were,  however,  exported  by  way  of 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico  to  South  America  and  Europe. 

In  the  manufacture  of  brick  and  tile,  and  other  ar- 
ticles formed  from  clay,  over  three  thousand  persons  were 
employed,  and  a  great  quantity  and  variety  of  such  articles 
were  produced. 

In  the  afternoon  I  visited  several  of  the  glass  works, 
and  was  very  much  surprised  at  their  magnitude,  and  the 
beauty  of  their  products.  For  delicacy  of  design,  color- 
ing and  finish,  I  never  saw  the  superior  of  the  articles  of 
glass  manufactured  in  this  city.  They  comprised  nearly 
every  description  of  such  ware  known,  and  from  this 
point  shipments  of  these  articles  were  made  all  over  the 
world.  Over  four  thousand  persons  were  engaged  in  this 
industry;  the  most  approved  methods  and  machinery  were 
used,  and  many  of  the  new  processes  and  inventions  orig- 
inated, I  was  told,  among  the  workmen. 

I  returned  to  the  hotel  toward  evening,  and  found  a 
middle-aged  lady,  the  wife  of  the  manager,  in  the  clerk's 
office.  I  inquired  of  her  concerning  the  great  aqueduct 
conveying  the  water  of  the  canal  over  the  Platte  River, 
and  she  informed  me  it  was  only  about  forty  miles  dis- 
tant from  Sterling,  and  that  the  railroad  crossed  the  river 
on  a  bridge  but  a  little  distance  below  it.  We  talked  to- 
gether for  some  time,  and  she  asked  me  if  I  had  been  at 
the  opera  house  the  preceding  evening.  I  replied  in  the 
negative,  and  inquired  if  any  special  entertainment  had 
been  given. 


The  Land  and  the  People  95 

"Yes,"  she  answered,  "the  princess  sang  there  last 
night.  There  was  a  large  audience,  and  you  missed  a  fine 
performance,  which  is  to  be  regretted,  for  she  does  not 
often  sing  in  public." 

"The  Princess  Clothilde,  from  Neuropolis?"  I  ex- 
claimed . 

"Yes,"  she  returned.  "Do  you  know  her  and  have 
you  heard  her  sing?" 

"I  have  met  the  princess,"  I  said.  "Please  tell  me 
when  she  came,  and  if  she  is  still  here." 

"She  arrived  two  days  ago.  There  were  several  la- 
dies in  the  party,  and  they  all  left  last  night  for  Neuropo- 
lis." 

I  was  much  disturbed.  I  had  heard  nothing  the 
evening  before  of  this  performance.  I  had  gone  lazily  to 
sleep,  when  the  person  I  most  desired  to  see  was  in  the 
same  town,  and  in  full  view  at  the  opera  house. 

I  cared  nothing  now  for  further  inspection  of  the 
city,  the  view  of  the  bridge,  or  anything  else;  I  only 
wished  to  be  again  in  Neuropolis.  There  might  be  a  let- 
ter, or  a  message;  anyway,  I  should  see  her  father  and 
learn  about  her. 

I  bought  my  ticket  and  at  1 1  o'clock  that  night  took 
the  train  for  that  city,  where  I  awoke  next  morning. 

There  was  no  message  for  me,  and  Mr.  Beyresen 
had  left  the  capital  some  days  before  for  the  southern  por- 
tion of  the  Nationality,  but  was  expected  to  return  soon. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE  ALBATROSS. 

Shortly  after  my  return  I  met  several  of  the  council- 
ors with  whom  I  was  acquainted. 

From  conversation  with  them  I  learned  that  the  par- 
liament of  which  they  were  members  had  been  in  session 
during  my  absence,  and  I  was  satisfied  that  the  political 
situation  in  the  United  States  was  very  grave. 

These  gentlemen  understood  that  I  was  in  sympathy 
with  them,  and  I  communicated  to  them  a  resolution  I 
had  formed  of  visiting  some  of  the  Eastern  cities  and 
learning  the  condition  of  the  people  there  and  their  feel- 
ing toward  the  Nationality.  They  advised  me  to  postpone 
this  journey  for  some  weeks,  until  matters  had  assumed 
more  definite  shape,  and  to  this  I  consented. 

A  few  days  later  Mr.  Beyresen  returned,  and  I  went 
to  see  him.  He  informed  me  that  his  daughter  had  spoken 
to  him  of  our  difference,  and  intimated  that  she  would  be 
willing  to  meet  me  any  time  I  might  appoint.  Though 
I  considered  myself  far  less  blameworthy  in  the  affair 
than  she  appeared  to  think  me,  yet  my  wish  to  see  her 
was  so  great  that  I  waived  all  scruples  and  set  the  next 
evening  for  my  call. 

I  reached  the  door  with  no  definite  plan  of  action, 
and  was  ushered  into  the  well-known  sitting-room  and  told 
that  Miss  Beyresen  would  see  me  in  a  few  moments. 
Mechanically  I  picked  up  a  book  which  proved  to  be  her 
volume  of  engravings,  and  opened  it  at  the  view  of  Dor- 

96 


The  Albatross  gy 

setshire  Castle  and  its  surroundings.  As  my  eyes  and 
thoughts  were  thus  engaged  and  before  I  was  aware  of 
her  approach,  Miss  Clothilde  entered  the  room. 

"Good  evening,  Mr.  Maxwell,"  she  said.  "I  see  you 
have  the  book  of  engravings." 

She  did  not  offer  her  hand,  but  was  perfectly  easy 
and  unembarassed. 

"I  hope,"  returned  I,  "I  am  doing  no  harm.  I  found 
it  on  the  table  and  almost  unconsciously  opened  it." 

"You  need  make  no  excuse,"  she  said  pleasantly,  "in 
regard  to  that  or  anything  else.  My  father  informs  me 
you  have  been  absent  for  some  time  traveling  over  the 
country.  Doubtless  you  will  have  some  interesting  things 
to  tell  us." 

"I  have  been  away,"  I  replied.  "I  have  been  study- 
ing your  country  and  am  gradually  becoming  acquainted 
with  the  customs  and  manners  of  its  people.  When  I 
have  acquired  proper  knowledge  of  these,  and  also  of  the 
likes  and  dislikes  of  my  auditors,  I  shall  possibly  be  able 
to  express  opinions  which  may  meet  with  approbation. 
Till  then,  I  have  learned  to  be  very  cautious.  So  pray 
do  not  expect  me  to  enter  much  into  detail  about  my  jour- 
ney." 

She  hesitated  for  a  moment  and  then  said  slowly:  "I 
do  not  suppose,  Mr.  Maxwell,  you  imagine  such  vigilance 
as  you  indicate  at  all  required  of  you  by  any  one.  But 
I  tell  you  plainly  you  will  have  to  use  care  when  you 
speak  of  those  endeared  to  an  entire  people.  Do  you  not 
understand  that  yet?" 

"I  admit  this,"  I  replied,  "that  opinions  vary  greatly 
in  regard  to  the  character  of  such  persons  as  you  refer  to, 
and  I  acknowledge  also  that  one  should  be  very  careful 
in  expressing  his  own  opinions,  even  among  friends,  or  in 
a  small  assemblage,  lest  there  be  some  one  present  with 


98  John  Harvey 

different  views  who  might  feel  aggrieved  by  such  ex- 
pression. And  if  I,  at  any  time,  by  lack  of  such  care, 
have  wounded  anyone  I  beg  pardon  for  it." 

She  looked  toward  the  floor,  and  I  saw  the  color  rise 
in  her  cheek.  At  last  she  said:  "But  the  opinion  itself 
remains  unchanged." 

"Opinion  with  me,"  I  answered,  "is  a  matter  of  evi- 
dence. I  have  evidence,  personal  evidence,  on  which  to 
base  the  one  in  question.  In  fact,  I  hope  you  will  excuse 
personal  reference,  for  we  cannot  well  get  along  without 
it — I  met  John  Harvey  once  in  the  China  Seas.  If  you 
care  to  hear  the  story  I  will  tell  it  to  you,  as  briefly  and 
plainly  as  I  can." 

"Anything  that  relates  to  John  Harvey  is  of  interest 
to  me,  Mr.  Maxwell,"  she  returned. 

"Well,  then,"  I  replied,  "I  will  try  to  tell  you  the 
story.  In  1929,  six  years  ago,  I  was  one  of  the  lieuten- 
ants on  his  majesty's  ship  of  war,  Vulcan,  an  armored 
line  of  battle  ship,  built  in  the  very  best  modern  manner. 
She  lav  at  that  time  in  the  harbor  of  Yokohama,  and  was 
the  flagship  of  Admiral  Berne,  who  had  command  in  Jap- 
anese waters. 

"There  were  in  the  port,  also,  two  other  British  war 
vessels,  the  Hecla  and  the  Alert,  smaller  but  yet  very  for- 
midable ships,  belonging  to  the  squadron  under  Admiral 
Berne's  command.  The  Vulcan  mustered  five  hundred 
men  all  told,  the  Hecla  about  three  hundred,  and  the 
Alert  two  hundred  and  fifty.  As  part  of  her  armament 
the  flagship  carried  on  each  side,  port  and  starboard,  a 
twelve-inch  gun  mounted  in  a  revolving  turret,  throwing 
a  projectile  weighing  over  one  thousand  pounds. 

"My  place  was  in  the  starboard  turret  in  command 
of  one  of  these  heavy  guns.    I  will  not  weary  you  with  de- 


The  Albatross  99 

tails,  but  a  few  other  points  in  the  situation  must  be  men- 
tioned. 

"Owing  to  difficulties  about  the  Nicaraguan  canal, 
the  relations  between  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain 
were,  at  the  time,  greatly  strained  and  war  was  known 
to  be  imminent.  A  large  number  of  American  merchant 
vessels  lay  in  the  harbor,  awaiting  results,  unwilling  to 
put  to  sea  for  fear  of  capture  by  British  cruisers.  Two 
French  warships  were  also  at  anchor  in  the  harbor.  Such 
was  the  condition  of  affairs  the  latter  part  of  August  nine- 
teen hundred  and  twenty-nine. 

"One  day,  about  that  time,  we  witnessed  in  that  har- 
bor one  of  the  strangest  and  most  beautiful  sights  ever 
beheld  on  any  waters.  I  wish  you  could  have  seen  it, 
Miss  Beyresen;  it  is  difficult  to  describe. 

"Moving  down  the  waters  of  the  Bay  came  a  white 
vessel,  not  of  the  color  made  by  paint,  but  a  pure  white, 
exquisitely  modeled,  and  graceful  in  every  movement. 
She  was  a  good-sized  craft,  about  three  hundred  and 
twenty-five  feet  long,  and  sixty-five  feet  beam,  and  seemed 
to  be  made  of  one  piece  of  some  strange  white  metal. 
The  curves  of  her  sides  and  bow,  and  the  flutings  on  her 
upper  works  were  beautiful,  and  all  wrought  in  the  same 
material.  She  was  wonderfully  clean,  no  smudge  appear- 
ing anywhere.  Her  figurehead  was  a  queenly  woman,  and 
the  name,  Albatross,  was  distinctly  visible,  inlaid  in  black 
letters  below  it. 

"Her  deck  was  occupied  by  ladies  and  gentlemen, 
attired  gaily.  She  carried  the  flag  of  the  United  States, 
and  came  to  anchorage  near  the  shore,  within  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  of  where  the  French  warships  lay,  and  somewhat 
farther  from  us. 

"In  a  short  time  white  boats  manned  by  sailors  in 
blue  jackets  and  white  trousers,  and  filled  with  her  pas- 


ioo  John  Harvey 

sengers,  put  off  from  her  for  the  shore.  During  the  suc- 
ceeding days  such  communication,  back  and  forth,  was 
constantly  kept  up,  and  we  learned  that  the  strange  ves- 
sel was  a  pleasure  boat,  built  and  owned  by  John  Harvey, 
an  American  gentleman,  of  immense  wealth,  obtained 
from  a  great  mine  in  that  country,  and  that  she  was  said 
to  be  constructed  of  a  peculiar  metal  found  in  the  mine. 
The  latter  statement  we  regarded  as  mythical,  but  the 
former  was  corroborated  by  letters  and  telegrams  re- 
ceived from  various  other  points  where  the  vessel  had 
stopped  and  remained  days  and  weeks. 

"The  French  Admiral  paid  his  respects  by  a  visit  to 
the  Albatross,  and  a  little  later  Admiral  Berne  did  the 
same.  Both  were  received  by  Mr.  Harvey  in  person  and 
conducted  through  portions  of  the  vessel,  but  Admiral 
Berne  was  not  entirely  pleased  with  his  reception.  All 
the  officers,  on  their  return,  expressed  surprise  at  the 
wealth  expended  in  building  and  fitting  out  the  ship,  and 
I,  who  saw  her  later,  may  say  that  millions  must  have 
been  used  in  this  way.  The  magnificence  of  her  decora- 
tions was  indescribable.  Silver  was  common,  and  gold 
plentiful,  everywhere.  I  will  not  dwell  on  this,  however, 
but  hasten  to  tell  what  followed. 

"The  political  situation  between  the  United  States 
and  England  became  daily  more  threatening,  but  those 
on  the  Albatross  seemed  to  be  engaged  in  pleasure  mere- 
ly, and  to  take  no  thought  in  regard  to  such  matters. 

"About  ten  days  after  his  arrival,  John  Harvey  gave 
a  grand  ball  to  which  the  French  Admiral  and  his  officers 
were  invited,  but  the  English  were  unnoticed.  What  I 
did  on  that  occasion  cannot  be  defended. 

"I  determined  to  attend  that  ball.  I  had  been  inti- 
mate with  some  of  the  French  officers,  and  they  proposed 
to  take  me  as  one  of  their  number,  and  did  so. 


The  Albatross  101 

"I  obtained  leave  of  absence  over  night,  and'  none 
of  our  officers  knew  where  I  had  been.  I  saw  what  I 
could  of  the  American  vessel.  The  salon  and  dining- 
room,  which  were  among  the  places  to  which  we  had 
access,  were  simply  magnificent. 

"I  have  never  beheld  their  equal.  I  saw  John  Har- 
vey and  talked  with  him  and  drank  some  wTine  with  him. 
He  was  a  tall,  dark,  fine-looking  man;  the  statue  on 
Pike's  Peak  is  exactly  like  him;  I  recognized  it  in  a  mo- 
ment. 

"All  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  were  very  kind  and 
agreeable,  and  I  had  a  pleasant  time. 

"Next  day  after  the  ball  I  returned  on  board  the  Vul- 
can. There  was  a  change  of  feeling  toward  the  Albatross. 
Old  sailors,  who  somehow  always  reflect  the  secret  opin- 
ions of  their  officers,  said  that  if  war  were  declared  the 
American  vessel  would  soon  entertain  a  different  party 
on  her  decks.    Officers  also  spoke  slightingly  of  the  ship. 

"Search-lights  are  constantly  kept  burning  at  night 
on  men-of-war  in  harbor,  and  orders  were  given  to  turn 
the  light  frequently  toward  the  American  vessels,  so  that 
none  of  them  could  leave  the  harbor  unseen.  Shortly 
after,  war  was  actually  declared,  and  secret  orders  came 
to  seize  any  American  vessel  that  attempted  to  leave  the 
harbor,  especially  the  Albatross. 

"Admiral  Berne  informed  the  captains  of  the  Ameri- 
can vessels  that  they  would  not  be  permitted  to  leave. 
The  Hecla  was  ordered  out  two  miles  toward  the  entrance 
of  the  harbor,  and  the  Alert  still  farther  out,  to  intercept 
any  that  should  attempt  to  do  so.  On  the  Vulcan  we 
had  orders  to  fire  across  the  bows  of  any  such  vessel,  and 
to  bring  her  to. 

"I  heard  from  the  French  officers  that  the  Albatross 
intended  to  depart.     It.  seemed  to  me  a  duty  to  inform 


102  John  Harvey 

those  on  board  her  that  if  they  did  so  they  would  be  fired 
on. 

"I  wrote  a  letter  in  a  disguised  hand  informing  John 
Harvey,  and  again  obtaining  permission  to  go  ashore, 
and  putting  on  a  Japanese  costume,  I  hired  a  native  boat- 
man to  take  me  out  to  the  Albatross.  I  did  not  dare  go  on 
board,  but,  rowing  around  the  vessel  in  search  of  some 
one  to  take  the  letter,  approached  an  open  porthole." 

"And  I  suppose,"  interrupted  Miss  Beyresen,  "you 
found  some  lorn  Dulcinea  to  receive  your  message?" 

"I  found,"  continued  I,  "a  young  lady  sitting  there 
whom  I  had  met  at  the  ball,  and  who  promised  to  deliver 
my  letter.  Your  supposition  was  not  far  from  correct. 
Might  I  inquire  how  you  came  to  make  it?" 

"Oh,"  she  answered,  "there  is  a  fitness  and  a  proper 
sequence  in  these  matters.  Given  <a  young  lieutenant, 
and  the  young  lady  is  sure  to  appear  in  the  story.  I  have 
been  looking  for  her  for  some  time.  But  please  go  on, 
Mr.  Maxwell,"  she  continued,  "and  excuse  my  rather 
rude  interruption.  Indeed  I  could  not  help  it,"  she  said 
plaintively. 

"I  will  try  to  pick  up  my  story,"  I  replied,  not  a  little 
disconcerted.  "I  returned  to  the  Vulcan,  and  the  next 
morning  dawned.  When  the  light  grew  strong  enough 
to  see  it  was  noticed  that  <a  change  had  come  over  the 
Albatross.  All  her  upper  works  had  disappeared,  and 
her  deck  was  unbroken.  At  her  stern  a  round  turret, 
about  fourteen  feet  high,  of  the  same  material  as  the  ves- 
sel, had  arisen  in  the  night.  Her  ports  were  closed  en- 
tirely, and  even  her  small  boats  had  been  stowed  away 
somewhere.  She  bore  no  flag,  and  was  slowly  moving 
nearly  a  mile  away  from  us,  though  not  in  the  direction 
of  the  outlet  of  the  harbor.  Word  was  sent  to  the  Ad- 
miral, who  at  once  came  on  deck.    He  watched  her  for  a 


The  Albatross  103 

few  moments  and  then  said:  'I  think  she  means  to  go 
out.  If  she  puts  her  bow  seaward,  and  moves  in  that 
direction,  fire  a  shot  athwart  her  and  await  orders.  Call 
the  men  quickly  to  action.' 

"This  was  done,  and  the  Hecla  and  the  Alert  were 
signaled  that  the  vessel  was  coming  out,  and  to  prepare  to 
stop  her. 

"The  Albatross  drifted  on  a  short  distance,  when  she 
halted,  and  ran  up  the  stars  and  stripes.  A  moment  later 
—  it  was  about  half  past  8  o'clock — she  swung  lazily 
around,  quartering  us,  with  her  bow  pointed  seaward, 
and  moved  rapidly  forward,  as  the  Admiral  had  predicted. 
A  twelve-pound  gun  in  our  secondary  battery  boomed 
over  the  water,  and  its  shot  crossed  about  forty  feet  in  ad- 
vance of  her  bow. 

"All  in  the  starboard  turret  who  could,  myself 
among  the  number,  were  watching  intently.  The  Alba- 
tross checked  her  speed.  I  saw  her  turret  revolving;  I 
heard  a  midshipman  call  out,  'To  your  gun;  she  is  going 
to  fire!'  A  line  of  red,  blue  and  green  lightning  shot  from 
her  to  us.  I  heard  a  horrible  grinding  crash  in  the  fore 
part  of  the  Vulcan;  the  entire  front  of  her  deck  seemed 
to  lift  bodily,  and  then  fall  back.  That  shot  killed  one 
hundred  men  and  wounded  one  hundred  more,  many  of 
whom  afterward  died.  Admiral  Berne,  who  was  in  the 
larboard  turret,  ordered  all  the  guns  to  open  fire  on  her. 
I  discharged  my  twelve-inch  rifle.  The  shot  struck  the 
side  of  the  Albatross,  and,  glancing  off,  was  buried  in 
the  sea.  That  from  the  larboard  rifle  also  glanced  and, 
flying  into  the  town,  killed  several  Japanese.  The  Hecla, 
about  two  miles  distant,  opened  fire.  The  Albatross 
moved  calmly  outward  toward  the  open  water.  The  Hecla 
and  Alert  hastened  inward  to  encounter  her,  all  the  ves- 
sels firing  at  her. 


104  John  Harvey 

"We  had  turned  to  follow  her,  and  our  larboard  bat- 
tery opened  on  her.  Suddenly  she  squared  her  head  a 
little  toward  the  shore,  and  a  moment  later  a  flash  of 
colored  lightning  from  her  struck  the  Hecla,  now  over 
a  mile  distant.  Her  upper  decks  flew  into  the  air,  a  great 
chasm,  partly  under  water,  appeared  in  her  bow,  the  sea 
rushed  in,  and  in  a  moment  the  fore  part  of  the  vessel 
plunged  beneath  its  surface,  throwing  the  hind  part  in 
the  air,  and  then  all  disappeared.    Not  a  soul  was  saved. 

"We  ceased  firing,  but  just  as  the  order  was  given 
another  awful  flash  came  from  the  turret  of  the  Albatross 
toward  us.  There  was  a  horrid  convulsion  near  me.  I 
was  knocked  senseless  by  the  explosion,  and  when  I  re- 
covered found  the  twelve-inch  gun  dismounted,  the 
bodies  of  two  men  crushed  to  death  beneath  it,  and  my- 
self deserted  by  the  others  who  had  sprung  into  the  sea. 
The  larboard  turret  against  which  the  bolt  had  been  di- 
iccted,  with  Admiral  Berne  and  all  within  it,  was  swept 
into  the  sea. 

"The  vessel  was  a  charnel-house,  and  drifted,  an  un- 
manageable wreck,  upon  the  waters.  The  Albatross  was 
moving  toward  the  entrance  of  the  harbor,  swiftly  pur- 
suing the  Alert,  which  fled  before  her.  As  I  looked,  the 
former  yawed  a  little,  and  again  the  ominous  flash  shot 
toward  the  Alert,  but  the  bolt  went  over  her.  A  moment 
after  she  flashed  another  with  better  aim,  for  the  Union 
Jack  went  down,  and  the  Alert  at  once  surrendered.  A 
half  hour  later  the  Albatross  returned,  followed  by  the 
Alert  in  charge  of  a  prize  crew.  Soon  after  an  American 
merchant  vessel  brought  the  Vulcan  to  anchorage  near 
the  Albatross,  which  seemed  entirely  undamaged  by  the 
shot  which  had  struck  her. 

"The  work  of  removing  the  English  dead  and 
wounded  to  the  shore  was  at  once  begun  by  the  remaining 


The  Albatross  105 

crew  and  officers,  assisted  by  the  British  consul ;  and  a  few 
hours  later  the  wrecks  of  the  Vulcan  and  Alert,  towed  by 
American  vessels,  by  John  Harvey's  orders,  he  leading 
in  the  Albatross,  were  taken  to  the  mouth  of  the  harbor 
and  sunk  bow  foremost  in  shallow  water,  and  a  notice 
posted  on  them  that  no  British  war  vessel  should  enter 
for  four  days  thereafter,  on  pain  of  being  similarly  treated. 

"That  evening  the  passengers,  whom  the  American 
consul  had  sheltered  during  the  fight,  returned  to  the 
Albatross,  and  the  next  morning  she  bore  her  customary 
appearance.  Her  turret  was  gone;  her  upper  works  were 
restored;  her  boats  were  in  their  davits,  and  her  many 
ports  were  open. 

"In  that  struggle  fully  six  hundred  lives  were  lost. 
The  news  was  at  once  telegraphed  to  England,  and  cre- 
ated great  distress,  alarm,  and  consternation. 

"This  was  war,  cruel,  bloody  war.  But  this,  though 
all  I  witnessed,  was  not  all.  Four  days  later  the  Alba- 
tross left  the  harbor,  and  three  weeks  after  entered  a 
Spanish  port  on  the  Bay  of  Biscay,  from  whence  John 
Harvey  telegraphed  the  English  government  of  his  ar- 
rival, and  demanded  a  ransom  of  fifty  million  pounds  in 
gold  for  Liverpool,  and  the  same  sum  for  London,  to  be 
paid  to  his  account  in  this  Spanish  port,  otherwise  on 
September  25th  he  would  begin  the  destruction  of  these 
cities.  In  earnest  of  his  ability  to  do  this,  if  the  ransom 
were  not  paid,  he  would  fire  an  empty  shell  over  the  for- 
mer city,  and  wait  till  1  o'clock,  when  a  steady  fire  of  de- 
struction would  begin. 

"The  English  filled  the  channel  with  all  their  avail- 
able ironclads  to  protect  these  cities,  and  on  September 
24th  an  awful  sea  battle  occurred,  in  which  so  terrible 
were  his  unknown  thunderbolts  and  so  invulnerable  was 
his  own  vessel,  that  John  Harvey  sunk  or  crippled  ten 


Io6  John  Harvey 

English  warships  in  four  hours,  and  the  futility  of  further 
resistance  was  demonstrated. 

"On  September  25th  the  amount  was  paid,  in  golden 
vessels,  in  bars,  and  in  other  ways,  and  John  Harvey  took 
his  passengers  on  board  again,  and  with  a  chartered  ship 
in  company  started  for  America. 

"The  war  between  England  and  the  United  States 
was  quickly  ended  and  peace  concluded.  I  understand 
John  Harvey  and  his  vessel  soon  after  went  down  in  the 
Atlantic,  and  his  terrible  engine  of  destruction  and  all  his 
secrets  and  his  treasure  perished  with  him. 

"In  my  country,  Miss  Beyresen,  the  ignorant  and 
some  not  so  ignorant,  call  him  a  wizard,  and  I  have  heard 
he  is  so  regarded  by  many  in  the  eastern  portion  of  your 
own  land. 

"You  have  listened  very  patiently  to  this  long  story, 
which  contains  the  evidence  on  which  I  based  my  opinion 
of  John  Harvey's  character.  I  have,  however,  heard 
many  things  about  him  that  show  me  he  had  other,  and 
even  philanthropic  traits.  He  seems  to  have  done  much 
for  this  land,  but  he  certainly  inflicted  a  heavy  blow  on 
mine." 

"I  hardly  know  what  to  say  to  your  story,  Mr.  Max- 
well," said  she.  "It  is  a  terrible  'history,  of  terrible  de- 
struction, brought  on  by  arbitrary  rashness.  I  have  heard 
that  Admiral  Berne  wrote  to  John  Harvey  that  if  he  at- 
tempted to  leave  the  harbor  he  would  blow  him  out  of  the 
water.  He  thought  that  easily  done;  the  event  proved 
his  mistake;  it  did  not  justify  his  design.  But  let  us  say 
no  more  about  this  fearful  business,  Mr.  Maxwell.  Let 
us  forget  it  if  we  can." 

"I  cannot  forget  it,  Miss  Beyresen,"  I  answered. 
"Scenes  such  as  those  I  have  described  are  never  forgot- 


The  Albatross  xof 

ten.  If,  however,  you  so  desire,  I  shall  not  again  allude 
to  them." 

'I  think,"  she  replied,  "that  would  be  the  wiser 
course.  It  is  not  pleasant  to  have  a  stain  upon  one's  idols 
pointed  out.  Let  us  speak  of  something  else,"  she  con- 
tinued. "I  suppose  I  may  ask  you  now  if  you  enjoyed 
your  journey." 

"I  did,"  I  answered  rather  coldly,  "only  I  missed 
your  opera  at  Sterling.  I  was  in  the  city  that  night,  but 
did  not  know  of  your  performance.  I  sincerely  hope  I 
may  have  another  opportunity." 

"Thank  you,  Air.  Maxwell,"  she  replied.  "I  am  glad 
to  know  you  still  approve  my  singing." 

After  a  little  further  conversation  I  took  my  leave. 
She  invited  me  to  return,  and  said  that  all  would  be  glad 
to  see  me.  But  I  was  far  from  satisfied  with  my  visit. 
I  never  received  such  scathing  denunciation  from  any 
person  as  from  Miss  Beyresen  on  the  occasion  of  our 
talk  about  John  Harvey,  and  I  thought  it  wholly  unde- 
served. She  listened  oddly  to  my  narration  of  the  reasons 
for  my  opinion  of  him.  She  was  interested,  but  evidently 
unconcerned.  The  truth  of  the  story  she  never  ques- 
tioned, indeed  she  intimated  she  had  heard  it  before.  But 
it  did  not  move  her.  She  passed  it  by  as  readily  as  if  it 
were  one  of  Shakspeare's  stories  of  fictitious  bloodshed, 
and  simply  declined  to  discuss  it. 

I  was  sadly  disappointed  in  her  conduct  and  resolved 
to  talk  mostly  with  her  father  on  my  future  visits,  for  I 
considered  him  a  kindly  hearted,  sensible,  well-balanced 
man. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE    TREASURE. 

As  the  reader  is  doubtless  aware  from  what  has  been 
before  said,  my  object  in  visiting  the  United  States  had 
been  mainly  to  study  economic  and  social  problems,  and 
to  ascertain  how  far  these  had  been  wisely  solved  by  the 
governmental  regulations  of  the  country.  If  he  think  I 
have  disgressed  from  my  original  purpose  he  must  re- 
member that  I  am  narrating  incidents  that  actually  befell 
me  in  this  land,  as  well  as  what  I  learned  concerning 
these  important  questions. 

For  a  long  series  of  years  after  its  establishment  the 
government  of  the  United  States  had  been  considered 
the  freest  and  the  best  in  existence,  and  this  had  been 
understood  to  mean  the  most  advanced  in  its  treatment 
of  these  problems. 

From  what  I  had  already  seen  and  heard,  however, 
I  was  forced  to  certain  conclusions  which  I  will  now 
state. 

There  could  be  no  doubt,  that  no  matter  what  had 
been  its  former  condition,  the  general  government  had 
fallen  to  an  alarming  extent  under  the  debasing  influence 
of  the  Money  Power.  There  could  be  no  doubt,  that  in 
the  general  desire  among  the  officers  of  the  government 
to  win  the  favor  of  that  Power,  and  share  in  its  mercenary 
rewards,  the  interests  of  the  people  were  neglected  and 
their  liberties  endangered. 

There  could  be  no  doubt  that  that  Power  was  per- 
mitted to  manipulate  and  control  the  labor  and  business 

108 


The   Treasure  109 

systems  of  the  country,  outside  the  Nationality,  to  its  own 
advantage,  and  that  it  was  the  bitter  enemy  of  any  radical 
change  in  them. 

There  could  also  be  no  doubt  that  a  struggle  of  some 
character  was  approaching  between  the  two  systems  of 
labor  and  government;  that  existing  in  the  Nationality 
and  that  in  the  rest  of  the  United  States,  which  would 
only  be  terminated  by  the  virtual  destruction  of  one 
of  them. 

In  such  a  conflict  my  own  course,  however  unimpor- 
tant it  might  be  to  others,  was  yet  matter  of  conscience 
to  myself.  The  principles  upon  which  the  Nationalistic 
system  was  founded  seemed  admirably  adapted  for  se- 
curing, and  protecting,  that  equality  in  opportunity  of 
obtaining  comfort,  enjoyment  and  advancement,  which  is 
the  right  of  every  citizen,  and  of  enforcing  the  fraternal 
obligations  which  each  owes  to  his  fellow  man,  and  I 
had  resolved  that  if  on  further  examination  I  was  satis- 
fied that  they  were  really  the  most  efficient  means  for 
such  ends,  then  with  heart  and  hand,  with  soul  and 
strength,  in  triumph  or  defeat  I  would  be  with  the  Na- 
tionality. 

It  was  the  middle  of  August  and  the  parliament  was 
in  secret  session.  Many  strangers,  men  of  mark  and 
prominence,  were  in  the  city,  chiefly  from  the  neighboring 
states  of  Texas,  Missouri,  Arkansas  and  Oklahoma.  In 
these  states  at  the  last  election  the  question  of  becoming 
pan  of  the  Nationality  had  been  made  an  issue,  and  been 
affirmatively  decided  by  the  election  of  officers  and  mem- 
bers of  the  legislatures  supposed  to  be  in  favor  of  it,  and 
unless  bribery  or  other  improper  means  were  resorted  to 
there  was  little  doubt  that  on  the  meeting  of  the  state 
legislatures  in  December  formal  steps  would  be  taken  to 
consummate  such  a  union.    The  chief  opposition  to  the 


no  John  Harvey 

measure  came  from  the  great  city  of  St.  Louis,  where 
wealth  had  accumulated  and  many  interests  centered, 
which  the  opponents  of  the  change  asserted  would  be 
jeopardized  by  it. 

The  representative  men  of  these  states,  now  in  Neu- 
ropolis,  were,  I  learned,  there  for  the  purpose  of  discuss- 
ing these  matters  with  the  members  of  the  parliament,  and 
perfecting  plans  for  presentation  to  their  respective  legis- 
latures. 

The  intended  affiliation  had  already  become  matter 
of  discussion  in  the  public  prints,  and  the  intense  oppo- 
sition shown  by  most  of  the  leading  eastern  journals  to 
such  a  measure,  and  the  bitterness  and  partisan  character 
of  many  of  their  utterances,  plainly  the  result  of  their 
being  subsidized  by  the  Money  Power,  seemed  not  only 
likely  to  further  the  result  which  they  deprecated,  but  also 
to  aid  the  cause  of  the  Nationality  in  other  states. 

The  minds  of  the  people  throughout  the  entire 
Union,  earnestly  engaged  in  trying  to  effect  a  solution  of 
the  great  social  problems  so  sternly  thrust  by  necessity 
upon  them,  had  arrived  at  that  point  where  empty  denun- 
ciation and  vindictive  diatribes  only  induced  them  to 
study  more  closely  the  real  merits  of  that  which  provoked 
such  unreasonable  opposition,  and  caused  them  to  re- 
gard the  latter  with  suspicion. 

The  attitude  assumed  by  the  Nationality  also  had 
great  effect.  It  had  taken  no  active  steps  in  proselytism. 
Though  its  senators  and  representatives  in  the  National 
Congress  were  able  men,  who  had  already  worsted  their 
antagonists  in  many  debates,  and  though  its  leaders  were 
shrewd  and  zealous  in  its  cause,  yet  they  had  not  solicited 
other  states  to  join  it,  and  in  fact  would  not  counsel  alli- 
ance with  any  unless  upon  a  sound  and  equitable  basis. 

The  numerous  charges  made  against  it  had  been  an- 


The   Treasure  1 1 1 

swered,  not  so  much  by  verbal  argument,  as  by  the  at- 
tention shown  to  its  legitimate  business  of  providing  for 
the  welfare  of  its  citizens.  This  position  won  for  the  Na- 
tionality respect  among  the  masses,  and  enhanced  in  the 
minds  of  the  people  of  the  surrounding  states  the  privi- 
lege of  being  admitted  to  its  system  and  form  of  govern- 
ment. 

Mr.  Beyresen  was  much  engaged  in  his  parliament- 
ary labors,  but  I  met  him  several  times  at  his  own  house;, 
and  had  quite  lengthy  conversations  with  him  in  regard 
to  the  subjects  just  mentioned.  It  was  plain  that  he  ap- 
prehended serious  trouble  with  the  authorities  of  the 
United  States,  and  thought  it  would  not  be  long  deferred. 

I  called  one  afternoon;  it  was  the  17th  of  August — 
I  remember  the  date  well.  He  and  I  had  a  very  earnest 
talk  about  the  affairs  of  the  Nationality  and  particularly 
in  regard  to  its  defensive  resources.  These  Mr.  Beyresen 
declared  were  greatly  underestimated. 

"I  have  little  fear,"  said  he  in  concluding  his  re- 
marks, "of  the  result  of  a  conflict,  but  I  am  very  anxious 
that  this  matter  should  be  settled  peaceably.  Our  people 
are  patriotic,  well  disciplined,  and  accustomed  to  united 
action,  and  already  constitute  an  army,  organized  for  la- 
bor, which  it  would  be  easy  to  convert  into  one  for  de- 
fense. Our  supplies  of  food  and  all  necessaries  are  abund- 
antly sufficient  to  maintain  it,  for  we  yearly  export  great 
quantities  of  these  to  other  portions  of  the  United  States 
and  to  foreign  countries." 

It  was  about  6  o'clock  in  the  evening  and  I  rose  to 
depart.  Mr.  Beyresen  said  he  would  go  with  me  as  far  as 
the  Administration  Building,  where  he  desired  to  procure 
some  papers.  He  excused  himself  for  a  few  minutes,  and 
when  he  returned  was  accompanied  by  his  daughter 
Clothilde,  of  whom  I  had  seen  but  little  lately. 


U2  John  Harvey 

She  spoke  to  me  pleasantly,  saying:  "Papa  tells  me 
you  and  he  are  going  to  the  Administration  Building,  and 
I  would  like  the  walk  if  you  have  no  objection,  Mr.  Max- 
well." 

On  this  point  I  hastened  to  reassure  her,  and  we 
started  together,  Miss  Beyresen  laughing  and  talking 
gaily,  and  soon  reached  the  building.  She  and  I  stopped 
in  the  hallway  near  the  door  of  the  treasury  department, 
while  her  father  went  on  to  procure  his  papers. 

After  awaiting  his  return  for  some  time  she  said: 
"We  are  not  likely  to  see  papa  again  soon  if  he  becomes 
engaged  in  his  office.  I  may  be  left  to  entertain  you,  Mr. 
Maxwell." 

"Which  you  will  do  most  charmingly,  no  doubt,"  I 
answered. 

"Ah,  you  put  me  on  my  mettle,  do  you?"  she  ex- 
claimed. "Then,  sir,  I  can  show  you  a  sight  such  as  you 
have  never  beheld  before,  unless  possibly  in  the  Bank  of 
England.    You  must  promise  to  keep  it  secret,  though." 

I  answered  that  I  would,  but  requested  her  not  to 
compromise  herself  in  showing  me  anything. 

"Oh,  I  have  the  right,"  she  replied  confidently,  "and 
will  trust  you  if  you  will  follow  me." 

"I  will!"  I  exclaimed,  "anywhere  you  lead." 

She  turned  toward  the  treasurer's  office,  and  at  a 
sign  from  her  I  waited  at  the  outer  door  while  she  went 
in.  I  heard  a  portion  of  the  conversation  between  her 
and  one  of  the  officials,  an  elderly  gentleman. 

Miss  Beyresen  asked  him  for  her  keys  and  he  seemed 
to  hesitate.  I  heard  her  say  to  him:  "Your  memory,  I 
fear,  is  at  fault.    The  order  was  plain,  'at  any  time.'  " 

He  gave  her  the  keys  at  once,  and,  I  supposed,  asked 
her  if  he  should  send  some  one  with  her,  for  she  answered, 
"No,  I  want  no  one;  I  will  return  within  an  hour." 


The   Treasure  113 

She  came  out,  and,  motioning  me  to  follow  her,  went 
quickly  down  a  narrow  corridor,  turned  an  angle  and 
waited  for  me  to  come  up.  She  stood  before  an  iron 
door  to  which  she  fitted  a  key,  and  with  my  assistance 
opened  it.  She  pressed  a  button  and  an  electric  light 
sprang  up;  we  closed  the  door  behind  us  and  she  led  the 
way  down  a  narrow  passage  and  stopped  before  the  strong 
door  of  what  seemed  a  vault,  which  fastened  with  a  com- 
bination lock.  She  turned  the  handle  of  the  latter  part 
way  round,  and  said  to  me: 

"Please  push  up  the  little  lever  above  the  door;  it 
will  disconnect  a  burglar  alarm  and  we  can  open  it  with- 
out molestation.    What  I  wish  to  show  you  lies  within." 

I  did  so,  and  she  unlocked  the  door,  and  with  our 
united  strength  we  opened  it.  A  vestibule  extended  at 
right  angles  to  this  door,  and  in  its  inner  wall  were  two 
other  iron  doors.  One  of  these  she  opened  with  another 
key,  and  again  pressing  a  button,  a  second  electric  light 
sprang  up  and  disclosed  a  large  vault  into  which  we  en- 
tered. It  seemed  about  ten  feet  wide  and  probably  twenty 
feet  long,  though  its  farther  end  was  but  dimly  visible.  Its 
sides  were  shelved  for  about  half  their  length,  and  the 
shelves  were  crowded  with  small  canvas  bags,  and  in 
places  with  great  piles  of  golden  coin.  About  midway 
down  the  vault  a  large  table  was  stationed,  which  was 
covered  by  what  seemed  to  be  golden  vessels  of  all  kinds. 

Miss  Beyresen  had  preceded  me,  and  now  stood  some 
distance  within.  On  entering  I  stumbled  over  a  box  of 
singular  appearance  placed  upon  the  floor.  It  was  cubical 
in  form  and  about  six  inches  in  dimensions,  with  a  ring 
attached  to  its  upper  side.  It  was  of  a  glossy  black  color, 
with  a  purplish  tinge  on  all  surfaces  exposed,  and  the  ring 
was  of  the  same  hue.  The  light  was  reflected  from  its 
polished  sides  as  from  a  mirror. 


114  John  Harvey 

"What  is  this?"  I  asked.  "I  hope  I  have  not  injured 
it." 

"Lift  it,  please,  and  see,"  was  her  quick  rejoinder. 

I  tried  to  raise  the  ring  which  lay  on  its  side  that  I 
might  lift  the  box  by  it,  but  failed.  Though  only  of  quar- 
ter-inch metal  and  hardly  three  inches  in  outer  diameter, 
it  was  immensely  heavy.  Using  both  hands  I  finally  ac- 
complished this,  but  was  unable  to  lift  the  box  from  the 
floor,  Miss  Beyresen  standing  by  and  watching  my  futile 
efforts.  I  could  not  even  turn  it  over  or  around.  "It  is 
fastened  to  the  stone  floor!"  I  exclaimed  much  chag- 
rined. 

"Let  it  alone,  please,"  said  she.  "I  did  not  know  it 
was  here.  Let  me  show  you  these,"  and  she  pointed 
to  the  golden  coin  upon  the  shelves,  which  I  had  not  yet 
observed. 

The  pieces  seemed  of  familiar  size  and  appearance, 
and  I  picked  up  and  examined  a  number  of  them.  They 
were  all  English  sovereigns  of  somewhat  remote  date. 
Turning  to  another  shelf  laden  with  canvas  bags,  I  ask- 
ed: 

"Are  those,  too,  filled  with  gold?" 

She  bowed  her  head. 

"May  I  open  them?" 

She  again  made  a  gesture  of  assent.  I  proceeded  to 
open  one.  It  was  full  of  English  gold  pieces  of  a  date  of 
several  years  back.  I  opened  another  from  a  different 
shelf,  and  still  found  English  gold  pieces.  She  was 
watching  me  intently,  and,  I  thought,  a  little  maliciously. 
Her  eyes  glistened  and  she  showed  the  whiteness  of  her 
teeth.  I  turned  to  still  another  shelf  and,  opening  another 
bag,  found  English  gold  coins  of  about  the  same  date. 

"You  are  surprised,"  she  said,  "and  you  think  some 
one  has  robbed  the  English  Treasury.    If  you  imagine  a 


The   Treasure  115 

share  of  it  belongs  to  you,  take  it;  there  will  be  plenty 
left." 

Her  tone  nettled  me.  "It  is  not  mine,"  I  answered, 
"and  I  am  not  so  scarce  of  gold  that  I  needs  must  steal  it." 

"Well,  look  around  you,"  she  continued,  "and  see  if 
you  can  find  anything  that  is  yours.  Gold  coin  is  hard  to 
identify.  Search  this  table  if  you  will.  Possibly  among 
this  ware  you  may  find  something  you  can  recognize, 
something  that  belonged  to  some  of  your  English 
friends." 

She  moved  aside  with  a  lofty  air  to  give  me  room, 
and  I,  determined  to  know  the  full  truth,  took  her  at  her 
word,  and  began  to  search  the  table.  A  moment  later, 
my  eye  fell  upon  a  large  goblet  of  pure  gold.  I  lifted  it 
in  my  hands  and  turning  it  bottom  side  up,  read  the  in- 
scription and  the  name,  "The  Duchess  of  Dorsetshire." 

I  set  the  goblet  down  hastily  and  springing  forward, 
caught  Clothilde,  who  retreated  as  far  as  she  could,  in  a 
firm  grasp  by  the  arms.  She  was  speechless,  but  looked 
steadily  in  my  face,  and  I  was  completely  tongue-tied. 
We  stood  thus  for  a  moment,  when  she  found  voice: 

"Let  me  go,  Mr.  Maxwell!  Unloose  me  this  mo- 
ment!   How  dare  you  do  this!" 

She  spoke  not  loudly,  but  angrily,  and  made  no 
struggle. 

"Let  go  my  arms,"  she  said.  "I  should  have  known 
better  than  to  show  an  Englishman  so  much  gold." 

"I  will  not  let  you  go  until  you  tell  me  whence  came 
this  treasure,  and  that  cup." 

"Take  the  cup;  take  anything;  take  two  cups,"  she 
said,  mockingly,  "but  release  my  arms.  This  conduct  is 
inexcusable.    Have  you  lost  your  mind?" 

"Clothilde,"  I  exclaimed,  "are  you  witch  or  woman?" 

"Unloose  me,  sir,"  she  gasped.     "If  I  only  were  a 


1 1 6  John  Harvey 

man,  and  somewhere  near  your  equal  in  strength!     Re- 
lease me." 

I  did  so  at  once.     She  moved  toward  the  table. 

"Let  me  see  if  I  can  find  the  cause  of  this  attack," 
she  said.  She  raised  the  cup,  looked  it  over  and  set  it 
down. 

"This  conduct,  sir,"  she  continued,  facing  me  deter- 
minedly, "requires  explanation." 

"You  shall  have  it,"  I  replied,  "but  there  must  be 
mutual  explanation.    This  is  no  time  nor  place  for  it." 

"Your  attack  was  so  unwarranted,"  she  said,  looking 
me  firmly  in  the  eye,  "so  thoroughly  English." 

"Do  you  think  so?"  I  replied. 

"I  do  think  so,"  she  returned,  "and  I  trust  you  will 
remember  your  promised  explanation.  I  will  stay  here 
no  longer  with  you,"  she  added. 

"As  you  wish,"  I  answered. 

She  led  the  way  out,  extinguished  the  lights,  and  we 
locked  the  several  doors  and  regained  the  corridor.  She 
held  the  keys  up  in  her  hand.  "Wait  till  I  return  these," 
she  said  briefly.  She  was  back  in  a  few  moments,  and  we 
went  together  to  the  entrance  of  the  Administration 
Building.  It  was  already  dark  outside.  "Where  do  you 
go  now?"  I  asked  doubtfully. 

"Home,"  she  answered. 

"Shall  I  accompany  you?" 

"Of  course,"  she  said.  "I  will  have  a  little  plain  talk. 
tvith  you  on  the  way." 

She  took  my  arm  and  we  reached  the  street. 

"Are  you  subject  to  such  attacks?"  she  asked.  "If 
so,  it  must  be  extremely  unpleasant  for  any  strangers  un- 
acquainted with  your  peculiarity  who  may  happen  to  be 
with  you." 

"Would  you  not  better  be  quiet?"  I  asked. 


The   Treasure  1 17 

"I  think  not,"  she  answered.  "I  am  desirous  of  hav- 
ing this  scene  explained  as  soon  as  possible." 

"You  shall  have  an  explanation  when  we  reach  a 
suitable  place,  your  home,"  I  replied.  "But  as  I  said  be- 
fore, the  explanation  must  be  mutual." 

We  walked  pretty  rapidly,  and  she  said  nothing  for 
quite  a  distance. 

"Your  attack  was  so  unexpected,  Mr.  Maxwell,"  she 
began  again,  "  that  I  had  no  opportunity  to  defend  my- 
self. I  am  something  of  an  athlete,  but  I  was  rendered 
completely  powerless  by  your  procedure.  Oh!  why  did 
you  act  so?  You  must  have  been  mad,"  she  continued,  in 
a  slightly  louder  voice. 

"I  entreat  you  to  be  quiet,"  I  returned.  "People  on 
the  street  will  think  we  are  quarreling." 

"I  would  not  give  much  for  your  chances,  if  they 
did,"  she  replied.  "In  such  an  event  I  could  scarcely  pro- 
tect you  from  injury,  and  if  I  made  myself  known,  and 
called  for  help,  all  your  strength  would  avail  you  noth- 
ing. I  am  a  princess  in  my  own  land,  Mr.  Maxwell,  and 
you  are  only  an  Englishman." 

I  knew  not  what  to  make  of  this  strange  girl.  She 
did  not  seem  at  all  alarmed.  She  talked  in  a  quiet,  de- 
termined tone,  only  once,  I  thought  I  heard  something 
like  a  sob.  She  looked  me  full  in  the  face  occasionally 
when  talking,  and  she  kept  her  usual  easy  hold  on  my 
arm,  and  said  bitter  things. 

We  reached  the  house  and  she  asked  me  in.  We  en- 
tered the  sitting  room;  her  sister  Anna  was  there. 

"Anna,"  she  said,  "will  you  entertain  Mr.  Maxwell 
a  few  moments?"  and  she  passed  into  an  adjoining  apart- 
ment. 

Mr.  Beyresen  came  in.  "You  are  just  in  time  for  din- 
ner," said  he.    "Come  right  out.    We  are  dining  en  fam- 


1 1 8  John  Harvey 

ile  to-day,  and  are  nearly  through ;  Mrs.  Beyresen  will  at- 
tend you;  I,  myself,  must  be  moving;  Clothilde  will  be  in 
directly.    Come  on  at  once." 

I  could  not  refuse,  and  though  caring  little  to  eat,  I 
took  my  place  and  a  few  moments  later  Clothilde  took 
hers  near  me.  Mrs.  Beyresen  did  the  honors.  Clothilde 
acted  much  as  usual.  She  answered  inquiries  about  our 
walk,  spoke  to  me  occasionally,  and  seemed  entirely  self- 
possessed  and  natural.  I  had  much  difficulty  to  refrain 
from  smiling  at  several  of  her  witty  sallies.  I  ate  little, 
for  I  felt  confused,  puzzled,  and  tired.  We  returned  to 
the  sitting-room,  mother,  daughter,  and  myself.  No  op- 
portunity for  giving  or  receiving  any  explanation  was 
afforded  me,  and  though  every  courtesy  was  extended,  I 
felt  and  no  doubt  looked  distrait.  I  did  not  remain  long, 
not  more  than  half  an  hour  after  dinner. 

When  I  signified  my  intention  of  departure,  Mrs. 
Beyresen  said  most  innocently:  "I  think  we  should  have 
some  music,  Clothilde;  can  you  not  sing  something  for 
us  before  Mr.  Maxwell  goes?" 

"You  dear  old  mother,"  Clothilde  answered.  "I 
don't  think  Mr.  Maxwell  cares  for  singing.  He  looks 
tired  and  distressed.  His  walk  and  company  seem  to  have 
been  too  much  for  him.  Let  me  redeem  myself  before 
you  go,"  she  said  to  me,  and  she  actually  brought  me  a 
glass  of  sherbet,  and  I  had  to  take  it  from  her  hand  and 
swallow  its  contents. 

Contrary  to  her  usual  custom  she  went  with  me  to 
the  door,  and  her  clear,  cool  voice  saying:  "Come  back 
and  see  us  soon,  Mr.  Maxwell,"  I  remember  distinctly. 

But  I  did  not  go  back  soon.  I  concluded  to  wait 
awhile,  or  go  only  in  the  afternoon  when  Mr.  Beyresen 
might  be  at  home,  or  at  any  rate  when  Miss  Beyresen 
would  be  in  her  schoolroom. 


The   Treasure  119 

A  British  peer,  I  thought,  had  some  rights  which 
even  an  American  princess  should  respect. 

In  the  meantime,  I  was  bound  by  my  promise  to  her, 
to  say  nothing  of  our  late  adventure.  I  awaited  enlighten- 
ment on  many  points,  but  I  did  not  know  when  or  where 
it  would  come.  There  seemed  but  one  source,  however, 
and  that  was  Miss  Beyresen  herself.  She  could  give  it  at 
her  pleasure;  I  determined  not  to  ask  her  for  it. 

For  a  week  I  ceased  entirely  going  to  Mr.  Beyresen's. 
The  head  of  the  house  was  occupied  constantly  during 
the  day,  for  the  parliament  of  which  he  was  a  member  was. 
in  session.  Of  their  proceedings  I  knew  little.  They 
separated  generally  when  they  left  their  hall  and  never, 
even  among  themselves,  appeared  to  talk  outside  of  what 
had  occurred  within. 

I  met  Mr.  Beyresen  occasionally.  He  was  very  friend- 
ly, and  was  anxious  that  I  should  meet  the  councilors  and 
other  public  men  of  the  Nationality,  to  whom  he  invaria- 
bly introduced  me  when  occasion  presented.  About  the 
occurrence  between  Miss  Clothilde  and  myself  at  the 
Treasury  he  said  nothing. 

I  knew  not  what  to  think  about  that  young  lady's  ac- 
tion. I  was  satisfied  that  I  had  been  shown  a  portion  of 
John  Harvey's  booty,  in  fact  the  cup  I  had  examined  was, 
as  the  reader  may  have  surmised,  one  contributed  by  my 
mother  to  the  indemnity  levied  by  that  individual.  I  had 
supposed  this  treasure  lost  in  the  depths  of  the  Atlantic,  but 
this  was  evidently  a  mistake.  From  my  late  experiences 
I  was  forced  to  the  conclusion  that  Clothilde  Beyresen 
was  more  intimately  acquainted  with  the  secrets,  and  had 
much  more  influence  in  the  affairs  of  the  Nationality  than 
I  had  imagined.  Her  conduct  was  utterly  incomprehensi- 
ble. Why  should  she  have  disclosed  the  existence  and 
the  hiding-place  of  this  booty  to  me?    It  seemed  a  dan- 


120  John  Harvey 

gerous  caprice  to  indulge  in,  and  yet  that  she  should  have 
power,  at  will,  to  obtain  access  to  so  great  and  so  singular 
a  treasure,  was  proof  conclusive  of  far  greater  importance 
and  standing  among  its  custodians  than  I  had  supposed 
she  possessed. 

During  the  week  succeeding  I  neither  saw  nor  heard 
of  her,  but  soon  after  I  received  the  following  note  by  a 
messenger: 

"August  twenty-ninth,  1935. 
"Dear  Mr.  Maxwell: 

"I  remember  you  expressed  regret  at  missing  an  op- 
eratic performance  in  the  town  of  Sterling  not  long  since, 
and  also  a  hope  that  you  might  have  the  opportunity 
some  time  to  hear  another. 

"I  am  vain  enough  to  desire  an  appreciative  auditor 
like  yourself,  and  therefore  take  the  liberty  of  enclosing  a 
ticket  for  such  a  performance  to-morrow  night  at  the 
South  Boulevard  theater. 

"I  am  a  little  nervous  over  the  affair,  which  will  be  a 
very  select  one.     I  wish  you  were  an  opera  singer,  or 
something,  and  could  assist  me. 
"Your  friend 

"CLOTHILDE  BEYRESEN." 

Enclosed  was  a  ticket  of  admission  to  one  of  the  best 
seats  in  the  house.  I  was  astonished  at  the  entire  ignor- 
ing of  all  that  had  recently  taken  place.  But  I  hastened 
to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  the  note,  and  thank  the 
sender  for  the  courtesy. 

I  attended  the  performance,  taking  a  seat  in  another 
part  of  the  house,  however,  not  the  one  designated  on  the 
ticket.  On  her  entrance,  I  saw  Miss  Clothilde  glance  to- 
ward my  unoccupied  place,  and  then  look  over  the  thea- 
ter, but  she  did  not  discover  me,  for  I  sat  far  back,  con- 
cealed by  some  pillars. 


The    Treasure  12 1 

A  large  number  of  members  of  parliament  and  the 
elite  of  the  city  were  present,  and  the  house,  which  seated 
about  eight  thousand  people,  was  filled  to  its  utmost  ca- 
pacity. 

Miss  Beyresen  was  elegantly  dressed  and  looked  roy- 
ally beautiful,  and  the  power  and  sweetness  of  her  voice 
were  amazing. 

There  were  no  dramatic  effects,  as  on  the  previous 
occasion,  but  she  was  repeatedly  encored,  and  was  plainly 
the  favorite  and  chief  attraction  of  the  opera. 

The  following  evening  I  called  at  Mr.  Beyresen's 
house  to  see  her,  and  her  reception  was  very  cordial. 

"I  knew  you  would  come,"  she  said,  "to  tell  me  how 
you  liked  the  opera." 

I  again  expressed  my  thanks  for  the  invitation. 

"But  you  did  not  take  the  seat  the  ticket  called  for." 

"No,  I  did  not;  I  am,  however,  as  thoroughly  obliged 
as  if  I  had  occupied  it." 

"Possibly  you  did  not  like  the  seat." 

"Possibly,"  said  I;  "I  did  not  try  it." 

"You  were  in  another  part  of  the  theater,"  she  de- 
clared. 

"Did  you  see  me?"  I  asked. 

"No,  I  did  not,  though  I  tried  to  discover  you.  You 
had  hidden  yourself  effectually." 

"Are  you  really  sure  I  was  there?"  1  returned.  *T 
might  have  been  prevented  from  attending,  you  know." 

"Your  presence  was  shown  by  that!"  she  exclaimed, 
and  she  handed  me  the  cancelled  ticket. 

We  had  quite  a  long  and  pleasant  conversation,  and 
not  the  slightest  reference  was  made  to  the  occurrences 
of  our  visit  to  the  Treasury  vault. 

She  seemed  much  interested  in  a  short  account  I  gave 
of  some  incidents  of  my  late  journey,  and  informed  me 


122  John  Harvey 

that  she  and  some  friends  were  making  up  a  party  to  go 
by  rail  to  the  aqueduct  bridge  I  had  missed  seeing,  and 
asked  me  to  go  with  them.  This  invitation  I  readily  ac- 
cepted, and  with  the  understanding  that  we  should  meet 
again  on  that  occasion,  we  parted. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE    AQUEDUCT     BRIDGE. 

The  party  made  up  for  the  visit  to  the  aqueduct  was 
composed  of  eight  persons. 

Miss  Ashley,  one  of  these,  was  the  daughter  of  a  cele- 
brated physician  of  the  city.  She  was  a  blonde,  and  her 
coloring  was  as  perfect  as  a  picture.  Her  golden  hair, 
blue  eyes,  finely  chiseled  features,  and  symmetrical  figure, 
presented  an  ensemble  of  beauty  seldom  seen.  She  was 
quiet  and  rather  reserved,  but  had  very  decided  opinions 
on  many  important  questions,  which  she  expressed  in  a 
low,  sweet,  musical  voice,  without  hesitation  or  obscurity. 

Accompanying  her  was  Mr.  John  Francis  King,  a 
talented  writer  on  one  of  the  great  evening  papers,  whom 
I  had  met  and  learned  to  like  on  previous  occasions. 

There  was  also  a  Miss  Myra  Erickson,  daughter  of 
one  of  the  councilors,  a  bright,  vivacious  young  lady,  and 
a  Mr.  Bradbury,  a  civil  engineer  of  much  information 
and  ability;  a  Miss  Ruth  Brastow,  an  especial  friend  and 
fellow  teacher  of  Miss  Clothilde,  and  a  Mr.  Ernest  Fos- 
dyke,  one  of  the  officers  of  the  treasury  department,  and 
Miss  Beyresen  and  myself. 

At  an  early  hour  we  met  at  the  station  house,  where 
an  electric  car  was  placed  at  our  disposal.  It  was  light, 
commodious  and  elegantly  appointed  and  furnished,  and 
supplied  with  its  own  electric  motive  power.  It  ran  on 
schedule  time,  being  one  of  a  succession  of  such  cars, 
passing  regularly  over  the  road,  at  intervals  of  not  more 
than  fifteen  minutes.    Its  smooth,  noiseless,  almost  imper- 

123 


124  jo h?i  Harvey 

ceptible  motion  made  observation  and  conversation  easy; 
and  we  looked  out  now  on  the  side  of  the  car  to  the  east, 
viewing  the  trim,  highly-cultivated  landscape,  and  then 
again  on  the  side  to  the  west,  where  the  solemn  moun- 
tains and  their  attendant  hills  rose  in  long  ranges  beyond 
us. 

"What  impressions  have  our  mountain?  made  upon 
you,  Mr.  Maxwell?"  inquired  Miss  Brastow,  who  had  no- 
ticed me  gazing  toward  them.  "I  understand  you  have 
lately  been  traveling  among  them." 

"Yes,  Mr.  Maxwell,  give  us  your  impressions, 
please!"  exclaimed  Miss  Erickson,  "and  then  let  us  each 
in  turn  give  his  or  hers.  I  will  act  as  prompter  and  gen- 
eral referee,  and  call  upon  you.  Proceed,  Mr.  Maxwell, 
and  open  the  ball,  and  the  rest  of  you  prepare  to  keep  it 
going." 

"The  air  of  sedateness  and  antiquity  which  the  moun- 
tains give  to  the  scene  appears  to  me  their  most  striking 
characteristic,"  I  said.  "Without  them  the  landscape  pic- 
ture which  you  people  have  created,  might  look  too  mod- 
ern and  too  artificial.  The  mountains  represent  the  age 
and  conservatism  of  Nature;  they  disdain  the  bright  robes 
and  civilized  trappings  in  which  the  rest  of  the  land  re- 
joices; and  lift  bald  heads  to  the  blue  sky,  and  toss  the 
scanty  locks  of  vegetation  that  cling  around  them  freely 
to  the  wind  and  storm,  of  which  they  have  no  fear.  They 
are  like  strong,  vigorous  old  men,  viewing  the  sports  of 
their  children  of  the  plains,  with  gravity  and  forbearance; 
careful  guardians  defending  them  from  the  tempest,  the 
heat  and  the  cold,  keeping  watch  and  ward  over  the  lib- 
erties and  destinies  of  the  land,  and  never  nurture  slaves 
but  always  freemen.  They  partition  the  earth  into  dwelling 
places  for  the  nations,  and  set  barriers  between  them 
which  only  the  civilized  and  skillful  can  overcome.      The 


The  Aqueduct  Bridge  125 

mountains  have  a  strong  influence  on  the  mental  and 
physical  qualities  of  men;  and  I  think  it  a  great. blessing 
to  any  nation  to  abide  under  the  ministrations  of  such 
snow-clad  peaks  as  those  we  see  yonder,  which,  like  white 
stoled  priests,  continually  present  their  orisons  in  those 
lonely  regions  where,  remote  from  little  scenes  of  art, 
great  Nature  has  for  ages  dwelt  in  awful  solitude." 

"We  are  very  much  obliged,  Mr.  Maxwell,"  said 
Miss  Erickson,  "though  it  does  seem  to  me  I  have  heard 
something  like  that  concluding  passage  before.  Now, 
Miss  Ashley,  it  is  your  turn." 

"My  thought,"  said  she,  quietly,  "was  somewhat  dif- 
ferent from  Mr.  Maxwell's,  though  induced  by  the  same 
idea  of  protection  and  watchful  care.  I  am  reminded  of 
the  passage  of  Holy  Writ  which  says,  'As  the  mountains 
are  round  about  Jerusalem,  so  the  Lord  is  round  about 
His  people  from  henceforth,  even  forever.'  I  never  travel 
among  the  mountains,  nor  view  them  from  the  plain, 
without  this  thought  recurring  to  me  and  investing  them 
with  peculiar  interest." 

"Now,  Miss  Beyresen;  no,  I  will  ask  Mr.  King  first, 
and  see  what  he  says,"  said  Miss  Erickson;  "if  this  solemn 
strain  continues  we  may  want  the  princess  to  sing  a 
psalm  for  her  part.  Tell  us,  please,  Mr.  Editor,  what  you 
think  about  the  mountains.  Be  breezy  and  picturesque, 
like  your  subject,  sir." 

"Editors,"  responded  Mr.  King,  "are  peculiar  be- 
ings, and  much  misunderstood.  When  asked  to  give  their 
opinions  on  a  subject  that  has  as  many  practical  sides  as 
this,  they  have  little  use  for  poetic  exaggeration.  They 
simply  speak  the  truth  as  they  see  it ;  they  cannot  do  oth- 
erwise, and  those  who  listen  have  to  be  content.  Moun- 
tains have  been  much  too  fantastically  considered.  They 
been  personified,  apostrophized  and  even  deified;  to 


126  John  Harvey 

such  an  extent  has  the  imagination  been  allowed  to  mis- 
lead the  reason  in  regard  to  them.  Not,  however,  by  the 
profession  I  have  to-day  the  honor  to  represent,  among 
whom  truthfulness  is  never  sacrificed  on  the  altar  of  fancy. 
We  recognize  in  them  a  wise  provision  for  modifying  cli- 
mate and  receiving  and  preserving  precipitation;  we  see 
in  them  a  habitat  provided  for  various  untamed  denizens 
of  air,  forest  and  stream;  we  regard  them  as  places  for 
enjoyment,  revivification  and  rejuvenation.  We  love  to 
visit  them;  not,  however,  to  imagine  them  peopled  by 
nymphs,  naiads,  and  dryads;  but  to  rest  and  gain  strength 
on  their  umbrageous  sides;  and  to  study  the  nature  and 
habits  of  these  wild  tenants  of  air,  land  and  water.  Sensi- 
ble people  spend  their  leisure  time  among  the  mountains, 
not  out  on  the  hot  plains  toward  which  we  are  journeying. 
Oh,  for  a  tent,  a  gun,  and  a  fishing  rod,  and  a  day  amid 
their  cool  shadows!" 

"Now,  Mr.  King!"  exclaimed  Miss  Erickson,  "you 
must  stop;  you  are  worse  than  a  failure;  you  are  casting 
reflections  upon  this  party.  I  will  call  on  the  princess  to 
rebuke  you.    Miss  Clothilde,  come  to  our  rescue." 

"This  journey,"  said  the  latter,  promptly,  "was  not 
planned  to  please  lazy  or  weak  people ;  it  is  made  for  the 
purpose  of  viewing  one  of  the  great  achievements  of  mod- 
ern times;  one  of  the  wonders  of  the  world.  Mr.  Brad- 
bury tells  me  there  were  seven  of  them  years  ago ;  and  we 
are  now  going  to  see  the  eighth.  Mr.  Maxwell,  and  sev- 
eral of  you,  including  Mr.  King,  who  claims  to  be  so 
practical,  have  been  talking  of  mountains.  It  is  always 
so,  I  am  told,  with  some  people ;  they  sigh  for  what  is  not 
at  hand." 

"Now,  Mr.  Fosdyke,"  said  Miss  Erickson,  "it  is  your 
turn."  But  Mr.  Fosdyke  declared  that  he  had  no  fresh 
ideas  to  communicate  on  the  subject,  and  Mr.  Bradbury, 


The  Aqueduct  Bridge  127 

who  was  next  called  for,  was  out  on  the  rear  platform, 
looking  at  the  great  canal,  along  whose  eastern  bank  we 
were  traveling  rapidly. 

Miss  Erastow  thought  the  mountains  were  always 
impressive,  and  most  so  in  winter,  particularly  after  a 
snowstorm ;  and  Miss  Erickson,  who  gave  her  opinion 
last,  had  just  finished  saying  that  their  bare  peaks  remind- 
ed her  of  beggars  who  had  worn  their  clothing  through  at 
elbows,  knees  and  toes,  when  the  descent  into  the  valley 
of  the  Platte  began,  and  we  distributed  ourselves  along 
the  side  of  the  car  to  obtain  the  first  view  of  the  great 
aqueduct. 

In  a  few  moments  we  reached  the  railroad  bridge,  lo- 
cated about  one  mile  below  it.  This  bridge,  though  long, 
was  in  no  place  over  fifty  feet  above  the  bed  of  the  river, 
while  the  aqueduct  being  on  a  level  with  the  river  banks, 
was  carried  over  at  a  height  of  fully  one  hundred  feet.  The 
approach  and  departure  of  the  canal  to  and  from  the  river 
were  made  by  a  series  of  cuts  and  fills  through  the  rough 
country  lying  on  each  side. 

Owing  to  the  sandy  nature  of  the  bed  of  the  South 
Platte,  peculiar  means  had  been  employed  for  obtaining 
a  firm  foundation.  The  sand  extended  to  a  depth  of  fif- 
teen or  twenty  feet,  and  was  permeated  by  water  slowly 
seeping  through  it  and  forming  quite  a  subterranean 
river.  This  sand  was  enclosed  by  a  framework  of  posts 
driven  vertically  to  the  bottom,  against  which  planks 
were  laid,  and  the  whole  mass  was  then  concreted  by  a 
churning  process  into  a  solid  wall  from  the  rock  founda- 
tion below  to  the  surface.  Successive  strips  of  twenty 
or  thirty  feet  in  width  were  thus  cemented. 

As  the  work  progressed  across  the  bed  of  the  river, 
a  great  volume  of  water,  shut  off  from  its  former  passage, 
forced  its  way  through  the  yet  uncemented  sand. 


128  John  Harvey 

A  canal  was  constructed  on  one  side  of  the  river,  cut- 
ting through  the  cemented  wall  and  continuing  down 
the  stream,  climbing  its  banks  gradually,  and  the  water 
thus  accumulated  was  used  for  irrigation,  and  when  not 
required  for  that  purpose  was  discharged  into  the  river 
again. 

The  process  of  cementing  was  continued  until  an  un- 
broken belt  over  four  hundred  feet  wide,  and  a  mile  long, 
and  of  great  strength  and  weight,  was  formed  across  the 
river  bed.  This  was  fastened  at  each  end  to  five  great 
parallel  walls  of  granite,  which  presented  a  solid  side  view 
and  were  built  into  the  hills  or  banks  for  quite  a  long  dis- 
tance. The  walls  were  each  twenty  feet  thick  and  arched 
over  longitudinally  by  four  great  arches,  with  a  span  of 
seventy-five  feet  each,  forming  at  the  top  a  foundation  for 
the  bottom  of  the  canal  three  hundred  and  eighty  feet 
wide.  This  was  made  smooth  and  level  by  cement,  and 
the  outside  walls  being  continued  up  fifteen  feet  higher, 
with  a  thickness  of  only  ten  feet,  however,  formed  sides 
for  the  aqueduct  and  gave  room  for  a  broad  walk  on  top. 

These  walls  carried  the  aqueduct  down  to  the  river 
valley,  or  bed  proper,  a  mile  in  width,  which,  as  I  have 
just  mentioned,  was  crossed  by  the  cemented  foundation. 
On  the  latter,  a  granite  casing  eight  feet  thick  was  laid, 
bound  together  by  metallic  bands  and  also  cemented,  ex- 
tending over  its  whole  surface. 

Hollow  pillars  of  steel,  cased  with  a  singular  white 
metal,  which  will  be  hereafter  more  fully  described,  rested 
on  the  granite,  and  carried  the  aqueduct  in  a  nearly 
straight  line  across  the  valley.  These  pillars  were  set 
eighty  feet  apart;  in  eleven  parallel  rows  forty  feet  distant 
from  each  other,  the  pillars  alternating  in  the  different 
rows.  The  inner  ones  rested  on  the  foundation  itself,  but 
the  outer  were  placed  on  bases  of   granite   about   eight 


The  Aqueduct  Bridge  129 

feet  square.  They  were  four  feet  in  diameter  at  the  bot- 
tom, tapering  gracefully  toward  their  capitals,  and  nearly 
one  hundred  feet  in  height.  They  were  fluted,  and  with 
their  tasteful  entablatures  were  very  beautiful. 

A  frieze,  twenty-five  feet  broad,  fifteen  feet  of  which, 
being  ten  feet  in  thickness,  extended  upward  and  formed 
sides  for  the  aqueduct  and  gave  room  on  top  for  a  con- 
tinuation of  the  walk  across  it,  and  ten  feet  of  which  ex- 
tended below,  and  hid  the  metal  network  which  supported 
its  bed,  ran  from  one  outer  pillar  to  another,  and  bound 
them  together. 

This  frieze,  also  cased  with  the  white  metal,  was 
moulded  in  various  ornamental  traceries,  and  was  very 
beautiful. 

The  pillars,  nearly  eight  hundred  in  number,  were 
bound  together  near  the  top  by  arches  of  steel,  hidden  by 
the  frieze;  and  a  network  of  the  same  metal,  also  hidden 
from  view,  supported  the  bottom  or  bed  of  the  aqueduct, 
which,  as  well  as  its  sides,  and  the  walk  across  it,  was 
plated  with  the  white  metal. 

The  railroad  bridge  which  crossed  below  was  set  on 
granite  abutments,  eighty  feet  apart,  connected  by  arches. 
These  were  capped  by  a  frieze  of  the  white  metal  curving 
upward,  as  did  the  arches,  effectually  concealing  them 
and  holding  all  in  a  firm  embrace.  These  arches  support- 
ed the  foundation  for  the  roadbed,  over  eighty  feet  in 
width. 

The  railroad  bridge  was  very  beautiful,  but  was 
dwarfed  by  the  wondrous  beauty  of  the  aqueduct,  which 
from  a  drawing,  or  any  account  given  of  it,  could  only  be 
faintly  imagined. 

The  metal  was  so  pure  and  soft  in  color,  and  its 
curves  aud  mouldings  so  full  of  grace  and  elegance,  that 
it  attracted  phenomenal  attention;  and  probably  will  con- 


130  John  Harvey 

tinue  to  do  so  to  the  end  of  time,  for  the  white  metal,  at 
least,  seems  indestructible. 

It  was  with  great  interest  and  admiration  that  I,  the 
only  one  of  our  party  who  had  never  before  seen  it,  viewed 
this  beautiful  structure  from  the  window  as  the  car  moved 
over  the  railroad  bridge. 

After  crossing  the  river  we  left  the  car  and  followed 
a  broad  paved  walk,  which  ran  through  a  large  and  taste- 
fully ornamented  park  toward  the  aqueduct.  A  branch  of 
this  walk  extended  to  the  granite  foundation  and  support- 
ing pillars  of  that  structure;  but  the  main  walk  led  to  the 
side  of  the  wall,  where  the  top  of  the  aqueduct  was  reach- 
ed by  a  long  flight  of  stone  steps.  We  ascended  these, 
and  stood  on  the  walk  on  its  summit,  which  was  pro- 
tected by  a  low  railing.  We  went  out  on  this  some  dis- 
tance toward  the  center  of  the  aqueduct.  The  whole 
scene  was  most  remarkable.  A  great  river  of  pure,  clear 
water,  in  quiet,  though  rapid  movement,  seemed  carried 
on  a  bed  of  marble  over  the  tops  of  the  hills  below  and 
over  the  valley.  We  hung  in  mid-air,  our  only  attach- 
ments to  earth  appearing  to  be  the  long  converging  lines 
of  white  foot  walks,  narrowing  to  a  thread  at  either  end, 
and  the  broader  band  of  silvery  water  sparkling  in  the 
sunlight,  which  might  be  broken  in  a  moment  and  from  this 
great  height  converted  into  an  angry  devastating  cat- 
aract. 

Upon  two  of  us  at  least,  Miss  Beyresen  and  myself, 
the  sight  had  a  strange  and  sympathetic  effect.  While 
the  others  laughed  and  talked,  and  declared  their  inten- 
tion of  crossing  over  upon  the  foot  walk  after  lunch,  we 
looked  together  in  silent,  almost  reverent,  contempla- 
tion now  down  the  long-reaching  valley  of  the  river,  and 
then  at  the  restless,  quick-moving  water;  my  mind  filled 
with  the  magnitude  of  this  great  undertaking  and  the 


The  Aqueduct  Bridge  131 

beautiful  and  enduring  manner  of  its  execution,  and  hers 
mutely  coresponsive,  and  by  some  undefinable  correla- 
tion, silently  assisting  my  reflections  instead  of  interrupt- 
ing them  by  noisy  speech.  By  and  by  we  two  were  left 
alone,  the  others  having  gone  on  out  some  distance  far- 
ther. 

"It  is  a  wonderful  structure!"  I  exclaimed,  finally 
rousing  myself  to  speak.  "It  must  have  cost  millions  and 
consumed  years  in  the  building.  It  will  last  for  ages  to 
come." 

"Yes,"  she  said,  "and  for  all  that  time  it  will  carry 
water,  pure,  refreshing  water,  to  a  hundred  lakes  and  to 
millions  of  thirsty  acres.  It  was  constructed  for  no  mer- 
cenary or  warlike  purposes,  the  ends  for  which  money  is 
usually  squandered;  it  is  a  provision  for  the  health,  liveli- 
hood and  comfort  of  all  the  people." 

"It  was  a  grand  conception  and  a  glorious  accom- 
plishment," I  returned,  "and  I  honor  the  brain  that  origi- 
nated it  and  the  skill  that  directed  its  execution.  Who 
did  it,  Miss  Beyresen,  the  Nationality?" 

"No,"  she  said,  slowly,  "my  friend  John  Harvey." 

I  started,  and  looked  at  the  girl.  There  were  tears  in 
her  voice  and  they  stood  also  plainly  visible  in  her  eyes; 
she  was  evidently  very  deeply  moved. 

"Let  us  retrace  our  steps,"  I  said;  "we  can  see  it 
much  better  from  the  park.  After  lunch,  while  the  rest 
take  their  trip  across,  you  and  I,  if  you  will,  can  stroll 
around  and  get  other  views  of  the  structure  and  examine 
it  more  closely." 

We  started  back,  lingering  here  and  there  over  some 
point  of  observation,  or  special  interest,  with  all  of  which 
she  appeared  well  acquainted,  and  finally  reached  the  park 
only  a  short  time  before  the  rest  arrived. 

We  were  very  enthusiastic  on  the  subject  of  the  aque- 


132  John  Harvey 

duct  bridge,  and  while  some  of  the  party  prepared  the 
repast  the  others  sat  looking  at  the  structure,  so  grace- 
ful and  seemingly  so  light  and  airy,  stretching  like  a  white 
phantom  across  the  wide  expanse  of  the  valley  high  up 
against  the  blue  sky  line,  and  yet  really  so  strong,  so  ma- 
terial and  so  useful,  conveying  water,  the  most  precious 
of  all  fluids,  in  a  constant  stream  for  the  use  of  human  be- 
ings dependent  upon  it. 

After  luncheon  the  rest  of  the  party  again  ascended 
the  steps,  and  Miss  Clothilde  and  myself  set  out  for  our 
stroll,  taking  the  branch  walk  leading  under  the  aqueduct. 
As  we  approached  it,  its  massive  strength  and  stability 
grew  upon  me;  and  the  whiteness  and  purity  of  color  of 
its  many  pillars  reminded  me  of  but  one  other  object,  the 
Albatross,  which  six  years  before  I  had  seen  enter  the 
busy  harbor  of  Yokohama. 

The  white  metal  used  in  both  was  unmistakably  the 
same;  and  the  grace  and  elegance  of  the  bridge  recalled 
vividly  like  traits  of  the  vessel.  Then  my  mind  reverted  to 
the  revelation  made  to  me  in  the  vault,  of  the  existence 
of  a  portion  at  least  of  the  stolen  treasure,  and  Miss  Clo- 
thilde's  intimate  connection  with  it.  I  glanced  at  her  as 
she  walked  by  my  side.  I  could  hardly  imagine  the  grace- 
ful, dignified  personage  I  saw  there  as  the  same  being 
whose  angry  utterances  on  that  and  a  previous  occasion 
I  so  well  remembered. 

On  these  subjects  I  could  not  question  her.  There 
was  an  air  of  majesty  about  her  that  effectually  precluded 
such  interrogatory.  She  was  distinctly  individual,  and 
like  all  such  characters,  whatever  disturbed  that  individ- 
uality was  promptly  challenged  as  offensive. 

She  was  pensive  to-day,  not  in  her  usual  high  spirits, 
and  talked  but  little,  and  evidently  with  some  effort ;  her 
mind  seemingly  engaged  on  other  subjects,  but  she  was 


The  Aqueduct  Bridge  133 

more  royally  beautiful  than  ever,  and  this  mood  had  for 
me  a  fresh  charm.  Her  tall,  willowy,  perfect  figure,  the 
full  Greek  contour  of  her  face,  with  its  clear  olive  tint,  and 
the  brilliancy  of  her  large  hazel  eyes,  subdued  by  the 
grave  character  of  her  thoughts,  and  shaded  by  their  long 
black  lashes,  which  vied  in  color  with  the  purple  black- 
ness of  her  hair,  all  gave  her  a  full  rich  and  regal  aspect 
which  commanded  the  utmost  respect,  and  which  her  vig- 
orous step  and  high-bred  bearing  enhanced  in  every  par- 
ticular. 

And  yet  she  had  confided  the  secret  of  this  treasure 
to  me,  a  stranger.  She  had  done  that  which  must  inevita- 
bly, if  known,  have  compromised  herself,  not  only  with 
the  authorities  of  the  Nationality,  but  with  those  of  other 
countries,  and  for  what  purpose  I  could  not  tell. 

Was  this  remembrance  sobering  her  thoughts  and 
changing  her  manner  to-day?  I  looked  attentively  at  her 
again.  No,  there  was  no  apprehension,  no  doubt  express- 
ed in  her  countenance,  though  it  was  graver  than  usual, 
with  a  trace  of  sadness  in  it. 

We  reached  the  foundation  and  passed  beneath  the 
structure,  and  were  soon  lost  among  the  massive  white 
pillars  which  supported  it,  whose  phantom  lengths  were 
very  material  to  the  touch.  We  crossed  on  its  northern 
end  to  the  center,  and  stopped  and  began  to  look  about 
more  leisurely. 

In  all  directions  stood  the  white  pillars,  extending  in 
rows  southward  for  a  long  distance,  and  on  either  side, 
for  two  hundred  feet,  surmounted  at  a  dizzy  height  by 
the  arches  and  the  great  superstructure  which  formed  the 
bottom  of  the  aqueduct. 

''What  other  creation  can  this  resemble?"  I  said,  un- 
certainly. 

"It  reminds  me  always,"  said  Miss  Clothilde,  "of  the 


134  John  Harvey 

interior  of  a  great  cathedral,  only  freer  and  grander  than 
any  cathedral  I  ever  saw.  On  breezy  days  the  wind  thrums 
against  the  metal  network  overhead  and  one  could  imag- 
ine an  organ  hidden  somewhere,  possibly  within  those 
walls,"  and  she  pointed  to  the  granite  side  walls  near  by. 
Moving  up  toward  them  we  found  a  seat. 

"Can  you  tell  me,  Miss  Clothilde,"  I  said,  "of  what 
material  these  pillars  are  made,  and  where  it  was  ob- 
tained?" 

"They  are  of  steel,"  she  answered,  "and  are  only  cov- 
ered by  the  white  metal.  This  plating,  or  covering,  how- 
ever, is  some  inches  thick,  and  adds  very  greatly  to  the 
strength  of  the  pillars.  I  cannot  tell  you  what  the  white 
metal  is,  Mr.  Maxwell.  It  was  only  produced  in  one  place 
in  the  world,  and  the  supply  has  been  exhausted  for  some 
years.  What  I  know  in  regard  to  it  I  have  learned 
chiefly  from  a  little  manuscript  book.  I  have  thought  I 
should  like  to  loan  you  this  little,  book,  if  you  care  to  read 
it,"  she  continued,  "for  it  gives  much  information  on  these 
subjects.  It  is  very  precious,  Mr.  Maxwell,  and  few  peo- 
ple have  seen  it.  It  is  the  only  book  of  the  kind  in  ex- 
istence and  has  never  been  out  of  my  possession.  Only 
the  old  men  of  our  Nationality  know  I  have  it;  and  its 
contents,  though  merely  descriptive,  are  not  to  be  spoken 
of  publicly;  especially  now,  when  there  are  those  who 
are  scheming  to  injure  our  land.  But  you  can  see  it,  and 
read  it,  if  you  wish;  for  I  am  sure  you  will  not  reveal  the 
fact  of  its  existence,  nor  any  of  its  contents." 

She  hesitated  and  added,  "I  have  shown  and  told  you 
other  things,  Mr.  Maxwell,  which  would  injure  my  coun- 
try and  myself  were  they  revealed,  but  I  can  trust  you." 

"I  respect  your  confidence,  as  I  have  always  respect- 
ed it,"  I  answered,  "and  I  would  very  much  like  to  read 
the  book.     And,"  I  added,  "I  wish  to  say  to  you  most 


The  Aqueduct  Bridge  135 

solemnly  that  I  will  never  abuse  your  trust,  nor  reveal 
anything  about  the  book,  or  about  the  other  matters  of 
which  you  have  spoken,  or  even  ask  questions  of  yourself 
about  them  which  I  think  you  would  not  wish  to  answer." 

"Oh,  thank  you,  Mr.  Maxwell,"  she  said,  warmly, 
"that  assurance  is  so  kind  and  noble  of  you ;  I  did  not  need 
it,  but  it  is  very  grateful.  When  we  reach  home  I  shall  be 
pleased  to  give  you  the  manuscript,  and  if  you  have  a  se- 
cure place  in  which  to  keep  it,  you  can  take  it  to  your 
room.  It  is,  indeed,  a  very,  very  precious  book  to  me, 
though  it  is  only  a  history  of  the  Bilboa  mines,  of  which 
you  have  probably  heard  something,  and  of  this  canal, 
and  of  the  founding  of  this  Nationality.  I  would  like  you 
to  come,  often  though,  and  tell  me  what  you  have  read, 
and  your  thoughts  about  it,"  she  added. 

"I  will,  gladly,"  I  answered,  "and  I  am  more  obliged 
than  I  can  tell  you,  Miss  Beyresen,  for  your  kindness." 

We  returned  to  the  park  in  a  happier  mood,  where 
we  met  the  others,  and  about  five  o'clock  started  for  Neu- 
ropolis,  bidding  adieu  to  the  great  aqueduct  whose  life- 
giving  waters  followed  us  as  we  sped  homeward  to  the 
great  city. 

On  our  way  back,  Mr.  King  and  I  sat  for  some  time 
together,  and  I  mentioned  my  contemplated  journey  east, 
and  remarked  that  I  supposed  social  conditions  there 
were  much  the  same  as  in  European  countries,  and  that  I 
could  hardly  expect  to  find  as  happy  a  people  as  in  the 
Nationality. 

"No,"  he  replied,  thoughtfully,  "you  will  not.  You 
will  see  class  distinctions,  based  mainly  on  wealth,  such  as 
could  not  exist  here,  for  there  money  and  accumulation 
are  the  actuating  motives,  and  unlock  the  doors  to  suc- 
cess, enjoyment  and  power." 

"And  all  this,"  I  asked,  "has  been  abolished  in  the 


136  John  Harvey 

Nationality?  I  cannot  yet  understand  your  doctrine  of 
equality  in  the  rewards  of  labor,  when  its  character  and 
efficiency  are  so  different." 

"One  educated  as  I  suppose  you  have  been  can  hard- 
ly understand  it,"  he  replied.  "Had  we  time  it  might  be 
worth  while  to  consider  whether  there  is  so  great  a  dif- 
ference between  workers  in  the  results  of  their  honest  pro- 
ductive labor,  and  also  whether  the  world's  estimate  of  the 
value  of  labor  is  founded  on  equity,  or  is  largely  artificial. 
The  equality,  too,  which  you  mention  is  only  in  the  ma- 
terial rewards  of  labor,  and  it  has  been  often  averred  that 
the  really  good  work  of  the  world  is  not  done  for  such  re- 
wards. These  thoughts  are  only  suggestive;  they  can  be 
followed  out,  though,  Mr.  Maxwell,  until  it  will  be  found 
that  the  course  most  in  accordance  with  natural  justice 
and  best  calculated  to  prevent  a  recurrence  of  the  terrible 
evils  of  the  system  prevailing  throughout  other  portions 
of  the  civilized  world,  in  fact,  the  only  one  to  obviate  these 
curses,  is  the  course  which  we  have  adopted.  The  princi- 
ple is,  that  this  equality  shall  exist  among  the  members 
of  the  classes  into  which  the  community  is  justly  divided. 
This  classification  we  have  made  to  rest  upon  age,  and 
the  assuming  the  responsibility  of  heads  of  families. 
Whether  it  is  the  best  division,  is  a  question  separate  and 
apart  from  that  of  the  principle.  There  was  a  time  when 
an  increase  in  the  amount  given  for  subsistence,  to  begin 
when  the  years  of  compulsory  labor  were  over,  was  ad- 
vocated on  the  ground  that  then  the  citizen  had  more 
leisure,  and  should  be  given  more  means  with  which  to 
enjoy  it.  To  adopt  such  a  plan  would  not  have  contro- 
verted the  principle,  but  many  citizens  are  of  great  ser- 
vice to  us  after  that  age,  and  had  this  increase  been  made 
their  minds  might  have  been. too  much  devoted  to  pleas- 
ure.   The  sustenance  now  allotted  to  each  citizen  is  sufli- 


The  Aqueduct  Bridge  137 

cient  for  all  purposes,  and  the  productive  capacity  of  the 
Nationality  is  becoming  so  great  that  the  amount  will 
likely  soon  be  increased,  or  the  years  of  compulsory  labor 
shortened;  an  alternative  to  be  decided  upon  after  wise 
consideration." 

"Do  you  find,"  I  asked,  "that  your  people  work  as 
well  under  your  system  as  the  old?" 

"Better,  much  better,"  he  replied,  "they  work  peace- 
fully, intelligently  and  in  proper  channels,  being  directed 
by  skillful  officers,  and  the  results  would  astonish  you.  It 
would  be  very  interesting  to  you,  I  have  no  doubt,  Mr. 
Maxwell,  to  spend  some  time  looking  over  the  statistics 
of  production  in  the  Nationality.  Such  a  research  would 
answer  your  questions  conclusively." 

I  thanked  Mr.  King  for  his  suggestion,  and,  as  I  de- 
sired to  examine  every  phase  of  the  labor  question  that  I 
might  arrive  at  settled  convictions  concerning  it,  after- 
ward availed  myself  of  it,  and  found  his  statements  to  be 
fully  substantiated  by  my  examination. 

Shortly  after  this  conversation  we  reached  Neuropo- 
lis,  where  I  dined  with  Mr.  Beyresen  and  his  family  at  the 
cafe,  and  on  my  departure  from  his  house  Miss  Clothilde 
gave  me  a  small  package  which  I  took  with  me. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE    MANUSCRIPT. 

On  opening  the  package  I  found  a  leathern-bound 
manuscript  volume  of  about  one  hundred  pages,  evident- 
ly some  years  old,  and  written  in  a  bold,  free  hand.  It 
read  as  follows: 

''The  great  Bilboa  mines  were  discovered  June  18th, 
1 901,  by  John  Harvey,  then  about  thirty  years  of  age,  a 
mineralogist  and  metallurgist  of  considerable  repute. 

"They  were  situated  in  one  of  the  great  parks  in  the 
mountain  portion  of  the  State  of  Colorado. 

"He  found  gold  in  certain  black  sand  and  fragments 
of  rock  of  the  same  material,  appearing  at  intervals  for 
quite  a  distance,  just  where  the  eastern  edge  of  the  park 
was  cut  by  the  first  of  a  long  succession  of  granite  ridges 
extending  northerly  and  southerly.  He  satisfied  himself 
that  this  material  followed  the  granite,  and  that  a  vast 
quantity  of  it,  probably  in  a  molten  state,  had  been  poured 
out  of  some  great  fissure,  or  fissures,  into  the  park  itself, 
and  had  been  covered  to  greater  or  lesser  depth  in  after 
years  by  an  alluvial  deposit. 

"He  also  satisfied  himself  that  this  sand  and  rock 
contained  from  twenty  to  forty  dollars'  worth  of  gold  to 
the  ton,  and  could  be  readily  smelted  by  ordinary  meth- 
ods, and  was  likely  to  prove  amenable  to  chlorination  pro- 
cesses, in  which  he  himself  was  an  expert. 

"Mr.  Harvey  therefore  took  proper  steps  at  once  to 
procure  title  to  these  lands,  then  considered  wholly  value- 
less, unless  for  pasture.    The  South  Platte  River,  on  its 

138 


The  Ma7iuscript  jog 

course  eastward,  cuts  the  granite  ridge  near  the  point 
where  the  discovery  was  made,  and  is  followed  by  a  rail- 
road running  from  this  park  to  the  great  plains  outside 
the  mountains. 

"By  the  middle  of  July  he  had  purchased  a  strip  of 
land  two  miles  broad,  extending  about  three  miles  north- 
ward along  the  ridge  from  the  point  where  the  river  di- 
vides it. 

"On  the  twentieth  of  that  month  work  was  begun  by 
sinking  a  shaft,  one  thousand  feet  northward  from  the 
river,  close  to  the  granite  wall,  and  on  August  second  the 
first  shipment  was  made,  being  about  fifty  tons  of  ore, 
from  which  a  return  of  twenty-five  hundred  dollars  was 
received. 

"Drifting  was  then  begun  at  a  depth  of  seventy-five 
feet  in  this  shaft,  along  the  vein  close  to  the  granite  which 
formed  the  eastern  wall  rock,  and  five  other  shafts  were 
started  at  various  points  northward.  From  fifty  to  sev- 
enty-five tons  of  ore  were  shipped  daily  from  the  first 
shaft,  from  which  an  income  of  about  three  thousand  dol- 
lars was  received. 

"By  September  first  the  new  shafts  were  down  a  dis- 
tance of  seventy-five  feet,  and  ore  similar  in  character  and 
value  to  that  discovered  in  the  first  had  been  found  in  all 
of  them.  At  a  depth  of  two  hundred  feet  in  the  first  shaft, 
which  was  designated  as  No.  i,  the  western  wall  rock  was 
reached,  and  the  fissure  from  whence  the  gold-bearing 
lava  had  issued  was  discovered,  being  eight  feet  wide,  its 
walls  tending  to  close  together  toward  the  south,  but 
maintaining  its  full  width  to  the  northward.  At  this  date 
about  two  hundred  tons  of  ore  were  shipped  daily  to  the 
smelters  on  the  plains,  and  about  eight  thousand  dollars 
were  received  for  the  same. 

ring  the  months  of 


140  John  Harvey 

July  and  August,  Mr.  Harvey  had  been  making  experi- 
ments in  reducing  the  ore  by  his  own  peculiar  methods, 
with  some  surprising  results. 

"A  small  furnace,  capable  of  holding  about  four  tons, 
had  been  erected  and  filled  with  crushed  ore,  which  at  an 
intense  heat  was  subjected  to  the  operation  of  certain 
gases,  chiefly  chlorine. 

"When  the  aperture  for  withdrawing  the  gold  was 
opened,  the  first  discharge  into  the  mould  placed  for  re- 
ceiving it  consisted  of  a  very  small  quantity,  not  more 
than  two  spoonfuls  of  a  singular  substance,  in  color  ebon 
black,  with  a  purplish  tinge,  and  the  gold  was  allowed  to 
flow  out  on  the  top  of  this. 

"On  taking  the  deposit  from  the  mould,  it  was  found 
that  this  substance  formed  a  thin  coating  on  the  bottom 
of  the  gold,  like  a  paper  on  the  bottom  of  a  baked  cake, 
from  which,  however,  it  was  easily  detached.  It  resisted 
all  attempts  to  spring,  or  bend  it,  and  retained  on  all  sides 
its  singular,  glossy,  purplish  black  color;  and  was  an 
exact  impression  of  the  mould  in  which  it  had  been  cast. 
Its  weight  also  was  very  great.  The  yield  of  gold  by  the 
new  process  was  quite  satisfactory,  and  the  mould  being 
small  the  gold  was  run  into  it  several  successive  times, 
bat  no  more  of  the  black  substance  was  obtained. 

"The  slag  was  then  removed  from  the  furnace  and 
dumped,  when  another  singular  result  was  observed.  The 
portion  first  run  off,  and  which  had  been  most  thoroughly 
exposed  to  the  action  of  the  gases,  on  becoming  cold,  was, 
in  large  sections,  pure  white — whiter  than  the  whitest 
paint  could  make  it.  Places  were  observed  where  dark 
lines  ran  through  it,  as  if  some  other  substance,  black  as 
charcoal,  had  been  fused  and  suddenly  cooled  in  it.  The 
parts  of  the  slag  less  exposed  to  the  action  of  the  gases  re- 
mained dark-gray  in  color. 


The  Manuscript  141 

"The  white  portions  were  without  crack,  or  flaw,  and 
resisted  all  attempts  to  break  them.  No  impression  could 
be  made  upon  them  by  repeated  blows  from  the  heaviest 
sledge  hammers;  they  seemed  quite  elastic,  and  when 
struck  emitted  a  distinct  metallic  sound. 

"These  results  gave  Mr.  Harvey  occasion  for  much 
study  and  many  experiments.  He  observed  that  the  white 
slag  had  all  the  characteristics  of  a  new  metal.  He  began 
his  investigations  with  the  purest  specimen  he  could  find, 
and  desiring  to  separate  it  from  the  remainder  of  the 
mass,  attempted  to  cut  it  with  a  finely  tempered  saw,  run- 
ning with  great  rapidity.  The  saw  bit  slowly  into  the 
white  substance,  until  when  about  half  way  through  it 
encountered  one  of  the  dark  lines  mentioned,  and  the 
teeth  flew  from  it  like  corn'  from  the  cob  in  a  shelling 
machine. 

"Another  saw  was  procured,  a  cut  made  at  right  an- 
gles to  the  first,  and  a  large  piece  of  pure  white  metal  ob- 
tained. By  this  cutting  the  dark  line  was  laid  bare  in  its 
length,  and  proved  to  be  a  spicula  of  the  black  substance, 
not  thicker,  nor  much  longer  than  an  ordinary  needle; 
it  was  not  bent,  nor  marred,  nor  in  any  way  affected  by 
the  action  of  the  saw.  Throughout  its  entire  mass  the 
piece  thus  obtained  was  of  the  purest  white.  In  weight  it 
was  scarcely  two-thirds  that  of  iron,  and  its  texture  was 
close  and  firm.  It  was  again  subjected  to  the  action  of 
heat,  and  at  a  temperature  much  higher  than  that  re- 
quired to  soften  iron  became  malleable  and  ductile,  and 
at  a  still  higher  temperature  fused  and  could  be  readily 
molded  into  any  shape. 

"A  portion  was  run  into  small  bars,  and  while  still 
ductile  one  of  these  was  drawn  into  wire  which,  when 
cold,  resisted  bending  with  great  pertinacity,  but  when 
properly  heated  could  be  bent  readily,  and  then  retained 


142  John  Harvey 

its  acquired  form  with  the  same  obstinacy.  When  heated 
the  bars  could  be  welded  together  or  beaten  into  shape 
like  iron  or  steel;  but  when  cold  nothing  could  be  done 
with  them  except  with  saw  or  lathe,  and  that  only  with 
the  best  tempered  tools. 

"Such  were  the  principal  characteristics  observed  by 
Mr.  Harvey  in  his  experiments  with  this  white  substance. 
He  was  satisfied  that  he  had  discovered  a  new  and  prob- 
ably very  valuable  metal,  lighter  than  iron,  and  at  the 
proper  heat  fully  as  malleable  and  ductile,  and  of  far 
greater  strength  and  durability.  On  this  latter  account 
he  named  the  substance,  Robur. 

"Two  subjects  of  inquiry  now  presented  themselves 
to  him,  the  first  being  the  best  manner  of  separating  this 
metal,  which  seemed  to  exist  in  such  great  quantities  in 
his  mines,  from  the  gold,  and  from  all  impurities,  espe- 
cially the  refractory  black  substance  which  attended  it, 
and  the  second,  as  a  prudent  man  looking  after  his  own 
interests,  to  ascertain  whether  any  bodies  of  similar  ore 
existed  in  the  vicinity. 

"Mr.  Harvey  spent  much  time  in  examining  all  the 
country  adjacent  for  other  deposits,  but  without  success, 
and  it  is  now  well  known  that  no  further  discoveries  were 
made,  and  that  the  Bilboa  mines  were  the  only  ones  that 
ever  produced  the  famous  metals  whose  story  is  here  to 
be  related. 

"Toward  the  answer  to  the  first  inquiry,  Mr.  Har- 
vey's active  mind  was  given  with  a  fervor  difficult  for 
one  uninterested  to  understand.  He  was  shipping  daily 
a  very  large  amount  of  ore,  the  most  valuable  part  of 
which,  being  irrecoverable  and  unrecognized  by  the  meth- 
od of  smelting  employed,  was  cast  away  as  worthless. 
There  was  a  possibility  that  its  existence  might  be  dis- 
covered by  those  from  whom  he  wished  most  sedulously 


The  Manuscript  143 

to  guard  it.  Being,  however,  without  means  except  those 
arising  from  his  shipments,  and  necessarily  at  great  ex- 
pense in  conducting  and  extending  his  operations,  he  re- 
solved to  continue,  but  not  to  increase  them,  until  such 
time  as  his  own  processes  could  be  perfected  and  his 
own  works  built. 

"He  called  to  his  aid  at  once  all  those  within  his  reach 
possessing  valuable  knowledge,  either  scientific  or  ex- 
perimental, on  the  subject  of  metallurgy,  and  such  of 
them  as  he  found  capable  were  converted  into  valuable 
friends  and  allies. 

"In  a  short  time  his  processes  were  so  perfected  that 
a  mass  of  robur  entirely  pure  could  be  obtained  from  the 
small  furnace. 

"Mr.  Harvey,  and  his  scientific  friends,  then  began 
a  series  of  researches  and  examinations  into  all  matters 
pertaining  to  the  production  and  applications  of  the  gases, 
forms  of  furnaces,  materials  for  same,  interior  surfaces 
and  their  relative  efficiency. 

"Toward  the  close  of  September  plans  were  adopted 
that  gave  satisfaction  as  promising  the  best  results,  and 
immediately  Mr.  Harvey  began  the  erection  of  eight 
large,  continuous  smelting  furnaces,  crushers,  buildings, 
tramways  and  all  the  necessary  concomitants  of  a  great 
smelting  industry." 

It  would  only  weary  the  reader  to  follow  the  minute 
description  given  in  Miss  Beyresen's  book,  so  I  omit  it, 
and  proceed  with  the  more  interesting  portion  relating 
to  the  first  practical  test  of  the  new  process. 

"On  the  28th  of  November,  the  charging  of  the  two 
trial  furnaces,  of  the  capacity  of  twenty  tons  of  ore  each, 
was  commenced,  the  fires  having  been  started  in  them 
some  time  previously.    The  night  following,  and  the  next 


144  John  Harvey 

day,  were  periods  of  great  anxiety  to  all  concerned  in  the 
operations. 

"By  8  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  29th,  a  consid- 
erable downslide  of  the  crushed  ore  in  the  chimneys  indi- 
cated that  the  process  of  melting  was  well  begun  in  the 
lower  levels,  and  the  furnaces  were  again  filled  up. 

"At  10  o'clock  the  view  holes  of  the  receptacles  for 
gold  in  the  lower  part  of  the  furnaces  being  opened,  it 
was  found  that  quite  a  quantity  of  that  metal  had  already 
percolated  into  them.  The  gas  blast  was  then  put  into 
operation  to  ensure  the  complete  reduction  of  the  ore 
by  chemical  action. 

"Owing  to  the  newness  of  the  furnaces,  it  was  deter- 
mined to  allow  an  unusually  long  time  to  elapse  before 
opening  them,  and  to  permit  only  one-half  of  the  contents 
to  escape,  retaining  the  remainder  an  additional  half  day. 
Thereafter,  every  twelve  hours,  ten  tons  would  be  dis- 
charged from  each  furnace,  and  the  gas  being  continu- 
ously used  would  be  brought  into  intimate  contact  with 
every  portion  of  the  molten  mass. 

"At  noon  of  November  29th  all  preparations  had 
been  made  for  the  first  discharge.  Sufficient  molds  for 
running  the  metal  into  pigs  of  convenient  size  had  been 
formed  in  the  sand  spread  in  front  of  the  furnaces,  and 
channels  constructed  to  properly  direct  its  flow. 

"A  heavy  trough,  asbestos  lined,  connected  them 
with  the  vents,  and  Mr.  Harvey,  his  aides  and  his  work- 
men, stood  by  watching  every  movement,  anxious  to  de- 
termine as  soon  as  possible  the  success  of  the  operation. 

"After  the  ten  tons,  or  thereabouts,  of  the  white 
metal  had  been  taken  from  each  of  the  furnaces  the  gold 
vent  would  be  opened,  and  the  product  run  into  small 
iron  molds  capable  of  holding  from  one  to  five  pounds 
each.    From  the  amount  of  gold  thus  obtained  the  yield 


The  Manuscript  145 

per  ton  could  hardly  be  determined,  the  quantity  of 
melted  ore  from  which  it  came  being  uncertain,  but  after 
a  number  of  runs  had  been  made  it  could  be  accurately 
stated. 

"The  interest,  however,  as  far  as  Mr.  Harvey  and  his 
friends  were  concerned,  centered  mainly  in  the  strange 
white  metal,  their  great  anxiety  being  to  obtain  it  pure 
and  free  from  the  intractable,  unworkable  black  sub- 
stance. 

"As  soon  as  the  pigs  were  cooled  their  color  would 
show  the  completeness  of  the  operation,  for  if  there  were 
no  evidence  of  the  existence  of  the  black  substance  on  the 
outside  of  them  there  was  little  likelihood  of  its  lodgment 
within. 

"A  few  of  the  workmen  had  seen  the  operation  in 
the  small  furnace,  and  the  singularity  of  the  slag  then 
produced  had  attracted  their  attention,  but  this  had  all 
been  carefully  stored  away,  and  they  had  no  idea  that  it 
was  a  metal  and  could  be  made  useful. 

"The  moment  had  come  to  open  the  two  furnaces; 
the  moment  for  action.  At  each  stood  a  workman,  with 
sharpened  bar  in  hand,  ready  on  the  word  to  break  down 
the  barrier  of  baked  clay  which  closed  the  vents. 

il  'Strike,'  said  Mr.  Harvey,  and  the  workmen  struck 
repeated  blows,  and  opened  a  way  which  the  molten  metal 
soon  cleared.  As  the  clay  was  broken  a  beam  like  a 
searchlight  shot  across  the  building  from  the  openings, 
and  the  white  metal  poured  forth  unapproachable  in  its 
glory.  It  was  not  the  brightness  of  the  golden  sun,  but 
rather  that  of  the  silver  moon,  intensified  ten  thousand 
times;  the  pure  white  liquid  mass  flowed  along,  not  cor- 
uscating, but  with  brilliant  white  light  that  lit  up  all  the 
space  around  it.  It  glided  rapidly  down  the  iron  troughs 
and  along  the  sandy  channels,  transforming  the  latter 


146  John  Harvey 

into  glassy  ones  by  its  intense  heat,  and  into  the  open 
molds,  without  noise  or  undue  haste. 

"One  by  one  they  were  filled,  and  the  tide  turned 
toward  others  until  all  were  reached,  and  then  the  signal 
was  given  to  close  the  vents.  The  men  seized  other  long 
iron  bars,  at  one  end  of  which  hung  on  a  pivot  thick  tri- 
angular sheets  of  iron.  These  they  thrust  into  the  aper- 
tures of  the  furnaces,  the  iron  sheets  entering  horizontally. 
When  once  in  they  drew  them  forward  vertically,  bring- 
ing their  flat  surfaces  against  the  inner  wall  of  the  fur- 
naces. The  flow  was  stopped  till  the  red  hot  plates  should 
have  burned  through,  but  other  men  plastered  cakes  of 
clay  with  other  irons  against  the  plates  till  they  filled  the 
orifice,  and  it  baked  and  hardened  like  rock  and  the  vents 
were  closed  completely. 

"Meanwhile  the  stream  of  white  metal  thus  cut  off 
disappeared  within  the  molds  and  was  rapidly  cooling 
there  as  the  heat  emitted  from  them  evinced." 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE     TALK. 

I  bad  read  thus  far  in  the  manuscript  on  the  day 
following-  that  on  which  I  had  received  it,  and  in  the  even- 
ing: called  at  Mr.  Beyresen's  and  found  Mr.  King  and 
Miss  Ashley  there. 

They  were  all  talking  of  our  excursion  and  of  the 
architecture  and  beauty  of  the  aqueduct  bridge.  Mr.  King 
told  me  there  were  several  other  aqueducts  on  the  course 
of  the  canal,  notably  one  over  the  North  Platte  River, 
constructed  of  the  same  material  and  much  the  same  in 
style  as  that  we  had  seen,  and  another  of  greater  length 
at  the  crossing  of  the  Arkansas  River;  but  that  this  latter, 
being  built  only  of  iron  and  steel,  lacked  the  impressive 
beauty  given  to  the  two  former  by  the  peculiar  character 
of  the  white  metal. 

My  late  journey  through  portions  of  the  Nationality 
was  referred  to,  and  I  remarked  that  in  all  my  travels  I 
had  never  seen  a  land  so  universally  well  kept  and  cared 
for,  in  regard  not  merely  to  practical,  but  also  to  esthetic 
effects. 

"I  had  supposed,  Mr.  Maxwell,"  said  Miss  Ashley, 
"that  the  very  finest  esthetic  effects  were  found  in  the 
great  parks  and  grounds  of  the  nobility  and  the  financial 
kings  of  your  own  land." 

"That  may  be  true,"  I  replied,  "but  those  are  pri- 
vate grounds,  and  are  examples  of  what  can  be  done  by 
lavish  expenditure  and  the  employment  of  the  best  skill. 
They  are  not  representative  of  the  general  taste  of  the 

147 


1^.8  Tohn  Harvey 

country,  and  are  often  in  striking  contrast  with  that  por- 
tion of  it  immediately  surrounding  them.  The  English 
rural  scenery  is  the  result  of  centuries  of  care  and  cultiva- 
tion, and  though  famous  for  its  general  quiet  beauty  and 
taste,  is  frequently  marred  by  barren  wastes  and  neg- 
lected, or  abandoned  fields  and  dwellings,  and  poverty 
and  misery  and  other  offensive  and  saddening  sights 
often  present  themselves  there. 

"But  in  my  recent  travels  through  this  land  of  yours 
it  all  seemed  a  garden,  every  portion  of  which  had  been 
a  subject  of  thought,  and  care,  and  treated  so  as  to  bring 
out  its  best  natural  resources,  and  there  was  none  of  the 
squalor,  poverty,  and  wretchedness  which  one  meets  in 
European  and  other  countries. 

"How  you  have  secured  such  happy  results  and  in  so 
short  a  time  is  to  me  an  enigma,  made  more  difficult  of 
solution  from  the  fact  that  it  has  been  the  work  of  a  peo- 
ple who  receive  no  other  reward  for  their  labors  than 
that  of  a  comfortable  and  assured  livelihood." 

"You  are  quite  complimentary  in  your  remarks,  Mr. 
Maxwell,  and  it  seems  very  proper  for  us  to  try  to  re- 
lieve your  perplexities,"  said  Miss  Clothilde.  "They  oc- 
cur to  nearly  every  stranger  visiting  us.  Their  explana- 
tion is  simple,  and  is  found  in  the  difference  between  our 
people  and  others,  which  is  very  marked,  but  is  generally 
overlooked. 

"During  your  observations,"  she  continued,  "did  it 
never  dawn  upon  you  that  we  are  a  wiser,  better  kind  of 
people  than  those  whom  you  have  hitherto  known,  gifted 
with  more  energy,  and  higher  faculties  for  learning,  and 
knowing,  and  doing,  and  enjoying?" 

"No,"  I  answered  dubiously,  amidst  a  general  smile, 
"such  an  idea  had  not  occurred  to  me  so  plainly  as  you 


The   Talk  149 

present  it,  nor,  I  must  say,  am  I  now  prepared  to  admit 
the  proposition  in  all  its  disinterestedness." 

"Then,"  said  she,  "I  will  have  to  demonstrate  it  to 
you,  Mr.  Maxwell.  I  have  had  to  do  so  with  others  similar- 
ly circumstanced,  so  that  it  inconveniences  me  very  little. 
You  admitted  that  the  ability  and  taste  necessary  for 
adorning  and  beautifying  landscapes  existed,  and  was 
readily  procured  by  those  possessing  pecuniary  means. 
The  services  of  persons  who  could  add  utility  to  taste  and 
beauty  could  also  be  procured  for  a  suitable  remunera- 
tion, could  they  not?" 

"Yes,"  I  answered,  "that  is  granted." 

"Now,  Mr.  Maxwell,  if  such  persons  were  employed, 
not  in  beautifying  and  adorning  a  few  parks  the  property 
of  a  select  class,  but  in  utilizing  the  whole  land,  and  at 
the  same  time  rendering  it  grateful  to  all  esthetic  tastes, 
would  not  the  result  be  something  such  as  you  have  seen 
in  your  late  travels?" 

"Yes,"  I  replied,  "but  the  marvel  is  how  quickly  and 
how  well  it  has  been  done." 

"Suppose,"  she  continued,  "that  the  people  living 
in  the  land  cultivated  esthetic  as  well  as  utilitarian  tastes, 
so  that  under  the  direction  of  such  skilled  leaders  they 
created  only  pleasant  and  beautiful  things.  Suppose  each 
citizen  considered  it  a  personal  duty  to  remove  every 
obnoxious  or  offensive  object,  how  long  do  you  think  it 
would  take  to  change  the  country  into  such  an  one  as  you 
seem  to  have  found  it?" 

"I  suppose  not  so  very  long,"  I  replied. 

"That,"  said  she,  "is  exactly  the  spirit,  the  feeling, 
our  people  have,  and  the  land  you  have  seen  is  its  prac- 
tical result." 

"But,"  I  said,  "how  is  it  that  your  people  are  so  full 
of  this  spirit,  and  so  ready  to  labor  for  such  ends?    How 


150  John  Harvey 

is  it  that  ability  and  skill  are  willing  to  devote  themselves 
to  such  unremunerated  work?  I  have  not  found  it  so  else- 
where." 

"I  have  already  told  you!"  she  exclaimed  triumph- 
antly, "and  though  you  would  not  admit  it,  you  have  in- 
advertently confessed  it.  We  are  a  superior  kind  of  peo- 
ple. I  won't  ask  you  to  say  so.  I  won't  tell  you  how  we 
became  such,  which  is  what  you  now  seem  desirous  of 
knowing;  but  our  works,  the  very  surest  test,  plainly 
show  that  my  statement  is  entirely  correct." 

"I  am  obliged  for  your  frankness,"  I  said  laughing, 
"and  shall  not  deny  your  superiority.  Meanwhile  the 
enigma  is  unsolved,  and  in  a  land  of  light  I  remain  in 
darkness." 

Air.  King,  who  during  this  rencontre  between  Miss 
Clothilde  and  myself  had  been  gravely  musing,  now 
turned  to  me  and  remarked:  "It  is  almost  as  difficult  to 
answer  your  questions  fully,  Mr.  Maxwell,  as  it  is  to  ex- 
plain how  one  shoot  grows  into  a  tall,  graceful  tree,  while 
another  withers  and  dies ;  so  many  circumstances  of  time 
and  place  determine  the  result. 

"As  a  people  we  have  undoubtedly  been  favored  in  all 
these  circumstances.  Our  soil  was  new  and  unobstructed 
by  the  noxious  growths  of  prejudice  and  custom  that  en- 
cumber so  many  older  fields.  Then,  too,  our  people  dur- 
ing their  colonization  period  were  under  the  sagacious 
and  wise  control  of  those  who  had  fully  thought  out,  and 
understood  the  scheme  of  our  present  government,  and 
were  quick  to  perceive  danger  and  powerful  enough  to 
evade  it,  or  to  remove  at  once  any  poisonous  growth  that 
sprang  up  in  our  midst.  Our  entire  civilization  was  mod- 
eled on  a  different  basis  from  that  of  any  other  state,  and 
yet  on  one  for  which  humanity  had  been  so  hungrily 
longing,  and  toward  which  it  had  been  so  constantly 


The   Talk  151 

tending,  that  men  were  ready  to  receive  and  embrace  this 
civilization  warmly,  and  endeavor  very  earnestly  to  make 
it  successful. 

"So  wisely  were  our  institutions  molded  and  directed 
and  so  propitious  were  the  times,  that  their  spirit  took 
possession  of  our  people  in  one  generation  to  a  far  greater 
extent  than  might  have  been  expected,  and  the  results 
have  thus  far  been  what  you  have  seen  among  us. 

"We  are  yet  only  in  our  infancy,"  he  continued,  "but 
the  essential  principles  upon  which  our  government  is 
founded  have  made  us  already  a  people  very  differently 
constituted  and  organized  from  others,  if  not  a  superior 
people,  as  the  princess  has  affirmed. 

'"Our  leaders  hold  views  in  regard  to  human  capabil- 
ity and  duty  very  different  from  those  entertained  in  most 
communities,  and  the  masses  of  our  people  put  these 
principles,  to  a  certain  extent  at  least,  into  constant  prac- 
tice. In  the  future  we  hope,  by  their  more  perfect  appli- 
cation, and  by  the  same  zealous  care  over  them  that  has 
been  exercised  in  the  past,  to  produce  far  greater  results 
for  the  benefit  of  humanity  than  have  yet  been  obtained." 

Mr.  King  stopped,  but  we  all  begged  him  to  continue, 
and  I  asked  him  to  give  us  an  exposition  of  these  prin- 
ciples. 

"If  you  will  not  consider  me  wearisome,"  he  said, 
af'.er  a  little  pause,  "I  will  give  you  as  concise  and  clear 
a  verbal  statement  as  I  can,  of  the  points  in  which  the 
spirit  of  our  government  differs  from  that  of  others. 

"In  other  governments,  money,  and  credit  its  rep- 
resentative, is  the  main,  basal  principle.  It  may  not  have 
been  so  at  first,  but  it  becomes  so  in  the  end.  Money 
controls  everything,  and  its  fortunate  possessor  can  pro- 
cure all  the  accessories  for  ease  and  enjoyment,  and  has 
in  it  a  most  powerful  aid  in  the  race  constantly  in  prog- 


152  John   Harvey 

ress  for  honor,  power,  or  advancement  among  his  fel- 
lows. 

"In  such  governments  the  relationship  of  the  citizen 
to  other  citizens  is  determined  almost  entirely  by  contract ; 
the  masses,  who  have  but  little  money,  being  dependent 
upon  those  possessing  it,  and  contracting  their  services 
to  them  for  it,  and  are  consequently  very  greatly  domi- 
nated and  controlled  by  this  latter  class. 

"The  status  of  the  people  is  essentially  a  servile  one, 
often  so  in  name  even,  as  with  the  slave,  serf  or  servant, 
always  so  in  fact.  The  system  exalts  those  owning  or 
controlling  money,  property,  or  credit,  and  puts  them  in 
the  position  of  masters  of  the  earth  and  all  that  is  therein, 
while  the  rest  of  mankind  are  merely  their  creatures. 

"The  acquisition  of  money,  or  private  property,  by 
any  means  becomes  the  main  object  of  the  aspiring  citi- 
zen, and  selfishness,  chicanery,  fraud  and  corruption  are 
among  the  legitimate  fruits  of  the  system. 

"Its  pleasures,  too,  are  transitory  and  low  in  degree, 
and  the  highest  moral  types  it  can  claim  are  those  exhibit- 
ing fidelity  and  faithfulness  to  employers,  or  justice  and 
equity  toward  others,  as  defined  and  regulated  by  its 
axioms. 

"In  our  government  the  fundamental  principle  is 
life,  and  the  aim  is  to  afford  the  highest  opportunity  for 
its  universal  enjoyment  and  improvement. 

"This  gives  relative  value  to  everything  else,  and  the 
united  efforts  of  all  are  directed  to  securing  for  each  and 
all,  the  means  for  such  enjoyment  and  development. 

"The  relationship  of  the  citizen  to  other  citizens  is 
that  of  brotherhood  and  fellowship,  as  co-workers  in  this 
lofty  undertaking.  His  individual  status  is  determined 
by  his  efficiency  in  this  work,  as  judged  by  his  fellows. 
Headship,  honor  and  advancement  are  given  to  those 


The  Talk  153 

most  earnest  in  promoting  the  good  of  all,  or  most  skill- 
ful in  devising  means,  or  executing  the  work  necessary  to 
attain  it. 

"Love  of  fellow-men  forms  the  chief  bond,  and  uni- 
versal joy,  peace,  contentment  and  happiness  are  its  legi- 
timate fruits.  Society  becomes  one  great  family,  working 
in  harmony  for  a  common  end,  and  each  enjoying  to  the 
extent  of  his  wish  and  ability  all  good  and  desirable 
things. 

"This  is  a  short  general  presentation  of  the  differ- 
ences between  our  government  and  others,  and  also  of 
the  ideal  existing  among  us.  We  cannot  hasten  its  full 
fruition  except  by  educating  the  people  up  to  it;  it  is  a 
growth,  an  evolution,  rather  than  a  revolution.  We  can- 
not force  it  on  mankind;  our  system  is  the  last  of  all  to 
employ  force,  unless  it  be  in  self-defense;  it  must  be  ex- 
tended and  perfected  by  instructed  human  volition  alone." 

He  stopped  and  I  remarked:  "The  principles  you 
have  mentioned  are  not  new,  and  are  of  the  most  ad- 
vanced character,  but  the  chief  difficulty  has  hitherto 
been  in  inducing  mankind  to  adopt  and  live  by  them.  My 
observation  has  been  too  hasty  and  superficial  for  me  to 
form  an  intelligent  opinion  as  to  whether  your  people  will 
do  this  with  more  success  than  others.  I  can  see  they 
have  made  great  progress  in  material  matters,  but  this  is 
only  a  step  in  the  right  direction." 

"I  know  it,"  said  Air.  King,  "but  material  happiness 
is  very  necessary  to  successful  endeavor  in  other  direc- 
tions. I  do  not  mean  the  false  happiness  derived  from 
luxury,  but  the  contentment  arising  from  proper  provi- 
sion for  the  future,  gained  by  cheerful  industry.  But  I 
would  like  to  hear  the  opinions  of  the  ladies  on  these 
subjects,  and  I  will  ask  the  princess  to  give  us  hers." 

"As  you  may  imagine,"  responded  she,  "after  what 


154  John  Harvey 

I  have  just  said  about  our  people,  which  was  not  all  in 
jest,  I  have  great  faith  in  them  and  in  their  leaders,  and 
I  can  see  they  have  already  accomplished  much.  The  evi- 
dence of  this  may  be  mainly  material,  as  Air.  Maxwell 
inclines  to  think,  but  there  is  a  satisfaction  and  delight 
among  our  people  in  what  they  have  already  done  that 
attaches  them  strongly  to  our  institutions,  and  spurs 
them  on  to  further  progress. 

"Our  system,  too,  furnishes  many  safeguards  against 
the  evils  which  have  destroyed  other  governments. 

"Excessive  luxury  could  hardly  exist  where  all  share 
equally;  slavery,  industrial  or  otherwise,  could  not  occur 
where  there  were  no  masters,  and  the  moral,  social  and 
mental  qualities  must  improve  when  a  great  part  "of  the 
cares  and  worries  of  life  are  removed,  when  employment 
is  furnished  to  all,  and  industrious  habits  cherished,  and 
at  the  same  time  sufficient  leisure  and  opportunity  are 
given  for  this  higher  cultivation. 

"And  we  do  furnish  opportunities,  Mr.  Maxwell, 
and  they  are  improved  by  our  people. 

"Our  schools  are  better,  and  more  universally  at- 
tended than  in  any  other  country;  our  reading-rooms,  our 
libraries  and  our  lyceums  are  well  filled  everywhere,  and 
the  churches  are  well  supported.  Besides,  ours  is  a  land 
of  homes  which  we  protect  as  they  are  protected  nowhere 
else,  and  they  are  happy  homes,  with  happy  people  in 
them,  for  I  have  been  among  them  and  I  know. 

"I  am  not  apprehensive  for  the  future  of  our  people ; 
there  is  the  best  spirit  among  them,  and  it  is  constantly 
growing.  I  look  on  the  bright  side ;  I  am  optimistic,  not 
pessimistic.  And  now,"  she  concluded,  "we  all  want  to 
hear  from  Miss  Ashley,  for  she  has  thought  much  on  this 
subject,  and  has  probably  higher  views  in  regard  to  it 


The   Talk  155 

than  have  yet  been  stated.  Won't  you  please  give  them 
to  us?"  she  added.    "It  will  lift  us  up  a  little." 

"I  do  not  know  whether  I  can  clearly,"  Miss  Ashley 
said,  and  after  a  moment  she  continued:  "I  think  all 
honest  endeavor  in  any  department  of  human  exertion 
and  knowledge  is,  if  not  advancement  in  the  right  road, 
at  least  a  means  for  discovering  it. 

"I  do  not  think  we  can  all  expect  to  take  an  equally 
important  part  in  the  forward  movement.  There  must 
always  be  the  spiritual,  and  the  more  material  among  us. 
The  main  thing  is  that  all  work  together,  and  be  in  ear- 
nest in  proceeding  onward.  There  is  a  great  difference 
in  the  functions  of  the  several  accessories  of  a  coach  in 
motion  over  a  road.  The  wheels  perform  certain  duties, 
the  brakes  certain  others,  the  driver  still  others,  yet  all  are 
necessary  to  and  connected  with  the  coach's  progress, 
and  move  forward  simultaneously  with  it.  There  must 
be  thinkers  and  doers,  directors  and  directed;  I  suppose 
a  great  part  of  humanity  will  always  have  to  be  directed. 
The  important  thing  in  regard  to  them  is  that  they  have 
such  knowledge  of  the  end  in  view,  and  such  earnestness 
in  attaining  it  that  they  may  be  willing  to  be  guided.  But 
I  think  a  far  greater  responsibility,  one  that  cannot  be 
overestimated,  rests  upon  those  who  have  to  do  the  di- 
recting. They  must  know  far  more,  and  be  unselfish, 
patient,  capable,  conscientious  men  and  women.  They 
must  be  more  than  this — they  must  be  Christian  men  and 
women." 

She  paused,  but  Clothilde  said:  "Go  on,  dear;  give 
us  your  whole  thought;  it  will  help  us  all' 

Miss  Ashley  continued  with  some  hesitation :  "If  we 
expect  to  advance  to  the  highest  plane  we  must  be  as  a 
nation,  and  in  all  our  relations  with  one  another,  as  nearly 
as  possible  conformable  to  the  rules  which  our  Creator, 
God,  has  established,  and  that  means  in  conformity  with 


156  John  Harvey 

his  will.  He  says:  'The  kingdom  of  God  cometh  with 
righteousness,  and  righteousness  exalteth  a  nation.'  I 
think  there  'the  whole  matter  is  stated,  and  so  long  as 
our  people  and  rulers  observe  righteousness  I  have  no 
fear  for  their  progress,  or  happiness." 

There  was  silence  for  a  few  seconds,  and  then  I 
asked:  "Regarding  your  people  in  the  light  of  what  you 
have  just  said,  Miss  Ashley,  are  you  encouraged?" 

She  replied:  "Sometimes  I  am,  and  then  again  I 
dou'bt.  I  see  very  great  diminution  of  crime,  but  this  may 
be  caused  by  the  removal  of  temptation,  and  I  see,  too,  a 
great  and  growing  respect  for  the  rights  of  others,  and  a 
wonderful  increase  in  brotherly  kindness  and  charity 
among  us.  But  the  righteousness  of  which  I  speak  lies 
far  deeper,  and  must  not  be  mistaken  for  mere  morality. 
I  hope  we  are  advancing  in  this  higher  life,  but  our  com- 
munity has  existed  so  short  a  time  that  the  results  in  this 
direction  are  not  as  evident  as  they  have  been  in  others." 

"Do  you  think,  Miss  Ashley,"  said  I,  "that  the  king- 
dom of  God  will  ever  come  literally  on  this  earth?" 

"I  can  only  say,"  she  answered,  "that  I  know  not 
why  it  should  be  impossible.  I  think  it  will  come  when- 
ever mankind  are  connected  in  unity  by  a  spiritual  bond 
into  one  great  brotherhood,  and  all  to  God,  who  is  ac- 
knowledged as  its  supreme  head  and  director.  I  think, 
then,  the  Lord  might  visibly  rule  over  us.  But  this  is 
only  my  opinion  and  but  little  weight  should  be  given  it." 

"Well,"  said  Miss  Clothilde,  "I  believe  we  are  all 
growing  and  will  keep  on  growing.  I  think  I  am  wiser 
and  better  than  I  was  a  few  years  ago,  and  I  expect  to  be 
still  more  so  a  few  years  hence.  In  fact,  I  believe  I  am 
better  than  I  was  an  hour  ago,  and  I  think  we  have  been 
benefited  by  this  little  talk." 

Thus  the  conversation  closed,  and  we  all  soon  took 
our  leave. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE    MANUSCRIPT. 

I  resumed  the  reading  of  the  manuscript  Miss  Clo- 
thilde  had  given  me,  which  continued  as  follows : 

"Mr.  Harvey  and  his  men  now  proceeded  to  that 
part  of  the  furnace  where  the  opening  of  the  receptacle 
for  precious  metals  was  located. 

"The  bottom  of  the  furnace  was  concave,  and  this  re- 
ceptacle was  situated  under  its  lowest  part,  allowing  the 
precious  metals  to  run  into  it  by  numerous  small  aper- 
tures. It  was  not  large,  and  was  shaped  somewhat  like  an 
inverted  cone,  at  the  lowest  part  of  which  the  discharge 
vent  began.  This,  sloping  gently,  pierced  the  walls  of  the 
furnace;  and  could  be  opened  and  closed  at  two  places, 
separately,  or  simultaneously,  as  might  be  desired;  one 
situated  by  the  receptacle,  the  other  outside  the  walls  of 
the  furnace.  A  trough-like  conduit,  being  a  continuation 
of  the  vent,  extended  a  short  distance  out  over  an  iron 
stand,  upon  which  proper  moulds  were  placed  to  receive 
the  gold. 

"The  smallest  of  these  moulds,  in  inner  measurement 
three  inches  long,  one  inch  wide  and  one  inch  deep  and 
designed  to  hold  one  pound  of  gold  only,  was  placed  be- 
neath the  end  of  this  trough,  and  Mr.  Harvey  with  his  own 
hand  opened  the  two  slides  about  one-third  of  their  ex- 
tent. 

"For  a  second,  or  so,  there  was  no  result,  and  then  a 
purplish  light  beamed  from  the  outer  orifice  of  the  vent, 
the  precursor  of  the  singular  substance  that  followed. 

157 


158  John  Harvey 

"There  appeared  at  the  partially  open  orifice,  and 
flowed  through  it  slowly,  a  procession  of  matter,  tena- 
ciously adhering  together,  emitting  much  heat,  and  a 
haze  of  purplish  light  that  extended  upward  several  feet 
and  bathed  the  faces  of  those  bending  over  it. 

"The  substance  moved  slowly  along  the  conduit,  and 
fell  in  a  continuous  rope,  or  cord,  into  the  mould  to  whose 
contour  it  immediately  adjusted  itself.  It  was  not  a 
stream ;  it  was  not  sufficiently  liquid  for  that,  but  rather 
presented  the  appearance  of  a  beautiful  dark  purple  bar 
moving  through  the  conduit  and  dropping  into  the 
mould.  Its  particles,  strongly  attached  or  bound  togeth- 
er, were  agitated  by  a  motion  from  bottom  to  top  hard  to 
describe,  but  which  lasted  only  for  a  moment;  the  sub- 
stance soon  assuming  a  perfectly  tranquil  appearance. 

"When  nine  or  ten  inches  of  its  length  had  appeared, 
a  pale  orange  light,  supplanting  the  purple,  showed  the 
approach  of  the  gold;  and  as  the  yellow  stream  made  its 
appearance,  Mr.  Harvey  closed  the  outer  orifice  for  the 
moment  that  it  might  not  mingle  with  the  preceding  sub- 
stance. 

"The  black  metal,  for  such  it  evidently  was,  had  been 
so  little  in  quantity  that  it  had  only  filled  the  small  mould 
to  the  depth  of  half  an  inch.  A  workman  attempted  with 
his  gloved  hand  to  shove  aside  the  mould  to  make  way 
for  another  to  receive  the  gold,  but  it  did  not  yield  and, 
to  his  astonishment,  so  heavy  was  it,  it  required  the  uni- 
ted efforts  of  both  hands  to  accomplish  his  object. 

"A  large  mould  was  then  placed  in  position  and  the 
vent  again  opened,  when  the  molten  gold  poured  forth  in 
a  glorious  stream,  until  exhausted.  In  value  it  was  about 
six  hundred  dollars,  and  in  weight  about  two  pounds. 
Mr.  Harvey  was  fully  satisfied  with  this  portion  of  the  op- 
eration. 


The  Manuscript  159 

"Like  results  attended  the  tapping  of  the  other  re- 
ceptacle, and  he  awaited  the  cooling  of  the  white  metal  to 
be  fully  assured  of  the  success  attending  the  whole  pro- 
cess. 

"A  few  hours  elapsed,  fresh  preparations  were  made 
for  the  midnight  run,  and  the  gold  having  solidified,  was 
turned  out  from  the  moulds,  that  it  might  be  duly  weigh- 
ed, tested  and  the  proper  records  of  the  results  made,  and 
it  be  placed  in  the  vaults  prepared  for  its  safe  keeping. 
This  was  soon  done,  and  the  weight  and  value  of  the  gold 
from  each  furnace  was  found  to  be  nearly  the  same  as 
before  stated. 

"Mr.  Harvey  then  ordered  the  two  moulds  containing 
the  black  metal  to  be  brought  out.  Its  great  weight  caused 
the  first  astonishment.  The  quantity  which  had  been 
taken  from  each  furnace  was  small,  but  the  weight  was 
comparatively  enormous.  To  add  to  the  astonishment, 
the  substance  on  being  turned  over  for  emptying  in  the 
usual  manner,  obstinately  refused  to  leave  the  moulds. 
All  ordinary  means  employed  for  this  purpose  having 
failed,  Mr.  Harvey  ordered  them  to  be  broken.  This  was 
done,  and  the  bars  freed,  except  from  several  pieces  which 
still  remained  attached  to  them. 

"The  workmen  laid  the  bars  upon  their  edges,  and 
attempted  to  remove  the  pieces  by  hammering  upon 
them,  but  only  succeeded  by  shattering  them  completely. 

"The  bars  were  of  surpassing  beauty.  On  all  sides, 
even  those  in  contact  with  the  moulds,  they  had  a  glossy 
smoothness,  like  that  of  newly-run  pitch. 

"The  rough  handling,  and  the  repeated  blows,  had 
not  at  all  marred  them,  which  was  matter  of  still  further 
astonishment.  Every  angle  of  the  mould  had  been  most 
minutely  followed  and  was  imprinted  on  the  substance. 

"The  bars,  each    weighed   about  ten  pounds,  fully 


160  John  Harvey 

twenty  times  the  weight  of  a  similar  piece  of  gold.  Mr. 
Harvey  realized  that  he  had  discovered  the  heaviest 
known  substance  on  the  globe,  and  certainly  another 
metal. 

"He  had  already  made  many  experiments  with  the 
thin  plate  obtained  from  the  small  furnace.  It  had  resist- 
ed all  attempts  to  cut,  break,  or  bend  it,  or  to  alter  its 
shape  in  any  particular.  Saws,  files,  and  chisels  made  no 
impression  on  it,  and  did  not  even  dim  the  lustre  of  its 
surface,  which  was  like  that  of  a  mirror.  Ordinary  heat 
seemed  to  have  little  effect  upon  it;  it  was  almost  a  non- 
conductor. Though  the  plate  was  very  thin,  one  surface 
of  it  could  be  exposed  to  the  flame  of  a  powerful  blow- 
pipe for  ten  minutes  and  the  hand  applied  to  the  other 
surface  without  discomfort. 

"On  being  removed  from  the  flame  it  soon  cooled, 
retaining  all  its  original  lustre.  It  seemed  an  anomaly  in 
nature,  inelastic,  irresponsive,  indestructible;  setting  at 
defiance  all  known  methods.  Mr.  Harvey  had  the  newly- 
run  bars  of  this  metal  removed  to  his  laboratory,  and 
spent  much  of  the  remainder  of  the  day  examining  them. 
They  were  identical  in  substance  with  the  plate  formerly 
obtained.  He  viewed  them  carefully  through  a  micro- 
scope. On  the  sides  and  bottom  several  minute  projec- 
tions, much  smaller  than  a  pinhead,  with  a  little  neck, 
caught  his  eye.  Their  surface  was  as  smoothly  polished 
and  glossy  as  any  part  of  the  bars.  A  thought  occurred 
to  him.  He  sent  for  the  broken  pieces  of  the  moulds  and 
examined  them  also,  and  found  in  them  several  small  im- 
perfections, probably  occasioned  by  minute  air  holes. 
Comparing  these  with  the  globules  on  the  bars,  he  saw 
they  corresponded.    He  was  profoundly  astonished. 

"Was  this,  then,  the  secret  of  the  attachment  of  the 
moulds  to  the  bars;  had  the  tiny  necks  of  these  few  small 


The  Manuscript  161 

globules  withstood  the  shock  of  heavy  hammers  without 
a  scar,  or  blemish? 

"He  spent  some  time  scrutinizing  them,  and  then, 
like  the  practical  man  he  was,  gave  orders  that  in  future 
the  black  metal  should  be  most  carefully  saved,  and  run 
into  polished  moulds  of  gun  metal. 

"About  9  a.  m.  of  the  day  following,  the  workmen, 
armed  with  great  tongs  and  other  tools,  dragged  forth 
the  pigs  of  white  metal,  now  well  cooled,  from  their  sandy 
beds,  while  Mr.  Harvey  intently  observed  the  operation. 
As  each  pig  was  drawn  forth  a  few  smart  blows  of  a  ham- 
mer shook  off  the  adhering  sand,  and  it  lay  in  its  pure 
whiteness,  no  trace  of  the  black  substance,  or  any  discol- 
oration being  visible. 

"The  pigs,  three  hundred  and  twenty  in  number, 
and  weighing  about  one  hundred  pounds  each,  were  piled 
in  one  end  of  the  room,  while  as  many  more,  the  result  of 
the  midnight  run,  lay  cooling  in  their  sandy  beds,  and 
about  two  and  a  half  pounds  of  gold,  and  two  small  bars 
of  the  black  metal,  represented  the  more  precious  yield. 

"Mr.  Harvey  calculated  that  the  ore  had  yielded  a 
trifle  over  forty  dollars  to  the  ton  in  gold,  and  a  quantity 
of  robur  equal  to  four-fifths  of  the  ore  smelted,  an  esti- 
mate afterwards  found  to  be  correct. 

"Entirely  satisfied,  he  ordered  the  other  six  furnaces 
to  be  forthwith  charged,  and  returned  to  his  office. 

"From  that  day  no  further  shipments  of  crude  ore 
were  made  from  the  Bilboa  mines,  it  all  being  smelted  on 
the  spot." 

It  is  unnecessary  for  me  to  give  my  readers  the  de- 
tails as  set  forth  in  the  manuscript,  of  John  Harvey's  oper- 
ations during  the  next  two  years.  They  were  voluminous, 
showing  the  constant  enlargement  of  his  works,  and  their 
increased  production  in  gold  and  robur.    For  the  general 


1 62  John  Harvey 

reader  it  will  be  sufficient  to  state  the  changes  made  at 
Bilboa,  and  the  condition  of  the  mines,  and  their  produc- 
tion, at  the  end  of  the  year  1903. 

At  that  time  a  city  had  been  built  on  a  high  plateau 
owned  by  Mr.  Harvey,  which  contained  fully  fifty  thou- 
sand inhabitants,  and  was  supplied  with  all  things  neces- 
sary for  their  comfort  and  convenience. 

The  average  daily  production  of  Mr.  Harvey's  works 
was  sixty  thousand  dollars  in  gold,  and  twelve  hundred 
tons  of  robur,  which  brought  a  gross  price  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five  dollars  per  ton.  The  greater  part  of  the 
latter  metal,  however,  was  stored  away  for  future  use. 

His  vaults  contained  about  four  hundred  tons  of 
black  metal,  nearly  all  in  the  form  of  the  small  bars  in 
which  it  came  from  the  furnaces,  not  a  particle  having  left 
his  possession. 

From  his  mines  and  works  he  derived  an  average 
daily  income  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  thousand  dollars, 
and  an  additional  revenue  from  rents  and  other  sources. 

He  employed  about  six  thousand  men,  whose  daily 
pay  roll  amounted  to  twenty-four  thousand  dollars,  and 
the  other  expenses  of  conducting  his  works  wrere  about 
the  same  sum. 

He  had,  therefore,  a  net  daily  income  of  one  hundred 
and  ten  thousand  dollars.  During  the  last  two  years  his 
receipts  had  been  large,  his  operations  having  been  rap- 
idly extended  after  the  discoveries  recounted  in  the  manu- 
script. 

In  that  time  he  had  spent  about  ten  million  dollars  in 
the  purchase  of  lands  and  the  building  of  the  city  to  which 
I  have  referred.  Thirty-five  million  dollars  in  gold,  then 
the  only  money  metal  of  the  world,  remained  in  his  treas- 
ure vaults. 

The  mines  had  been  worked  largely  by  open  or  sur- 


The  Manuscript  163 

face  cuts  made  along  the  line  of  the  original  fissure.  The 
ore  had  not  increased  materially  in  richness,  though  there 
were  changes  in  its  character  as  narrated  in  the  manu- 
script, to  which  I  will  now  return  for  further  description. 
It  read  as  follows: 

"The  open  cut  along  the  fissure  extended  for  a  dis- 
tance of  six  thousand  feet,  or  as  far  as  ore  was  found,  be- 
ginning about  five  hundred  feet  south  of  the  original,  or 
No.  1,  shaft.  From  this  initial  point  to  a  distance  of  over 
fifteen  hundred  feet  to  the  northward,  the  ore  had  been 
removed  to  a  depth  of  two  hundred  feet,  or  down  to  the 
true  fissure,  which  was  eight  feet  wide.  For  the  remain- 
der of  the  six  thousand  feet  the  ore  in  the  cut  had  been 
taken  out  only  about  one  hundred  feet  in  depth. 

"On  the  fifteen  hundred  feet  connected  with  shaft 
No.  1,  the  ore  had  held  its  value  well  in  gold,  until  it 
reached  the  bottom  of  the  cut.  Then  it  had  failed  rapidly, 
and  at  that  depth  scarcely  yielded  ten  dollars  per  ton. 

"At  the  south  end  the  fissure  was  filled  entirely  with 
an  impure  limestone,  which  sloped  at  a  small  angle  to  the 
northward  so  that  at  two  hundred  feet  in  depth  the  ore 
body  to  the  south  of  shaft  No.  1  was  little  over  four  hun- 
dred feet  in  length,  instead  of  five  hundred,  as  it  was  orig- 
inally. 

"The  forty-five  hundred  feet  to  the  north  held  its 
full  value  in  gold. 

"Four  other  shafts  had  been  sunk  upon  the  vein;  No. 
2  being  about  fifteen  hundred  feet  north  of  No.  1,  and 
nearly  one  thousand  feet  deep,  and  Nos.  3,  4  and  5,  locat- 
ed to  the  north  at  varying  distances  apart,  which  were 
sunk  to  depths  of  from  two  hundred  to  four  hundred  feet. 

"They  showed  no  signs  of  diminution  in  gold  pro- 
duction, and  in  all  of  them  the  amount  of  robur  yielded 
remained  about  the  same. 


164  John  Harvey 

"On  the  failure  of  the  gold  production  in  and  about 
shaft  No.  1  Mr.  Harvey  had  ordered  work  discontinued  in 
the  cut,  but  pushed  the  sinking  of  the  shaft  itself. 

"At  a  depth  of  one  thousand  feet  a  level  had  been  run 
northward  a  distance  of  eight  hundred  feet,  but  through- 
out its  entire  length  the  continuous  ore  body  was  barren 
of  gold,  except  a  small  number  of  shot-like  globules  found 
in  various  places. 

"It  had  also  been  observed  that  in  the  shaft  and  level 
the  ore  body  seemed  softer  than  in  the  other  shafts,  and 
was  permeated,  or  honeycombed,  by  small  holes  or  tubes, 
in  which  the  shot-like  gold  had  been  found. 

"On  the  8th  day  of  January,  1904,  the  ore  in  shaft 
No.  1  ceased,  at  a  depth  of  one  thousand  three  hundred 
and  forty-seven  feet,  and  the  impure  limestone  before 
mentioned  came  in  in  its  place  from  the  south  at  a  small 
angle. 

"Unlike  the  limestone  on  the  southern  slope,  how- 
ever, of  which  it  was  undoubtedly  a  continuation,  it  was 
completely  honeycombed  by  small  vertical  holes.  Only 
a  blast,  or  two,  had  been  made  when  it  was  found  to  be 
full  of  free  gold,  mostly  in  globules  from  the  size  of  bird 
shot  to  buck  shot,  with  occasional  short  cylinders  of  the 
same  diameter,  completely  filling  the  holes.  This  occur- 
red across  the  entire  bottom  of  the  shaft,  which  was  about 
eight  feet  square,  and  the  gold  deposit  apparently  extend- 
ed along  the  fissure  north  and  south. 

"The  find  was  immediately  reported  to  Mr.  Harvey, 
and  he  descended  the  shaft.  It  was  decided  to  sink  the 
latter  as  rapidly  as  possible  through  the  limestone  as  far 
as  the  gold  extended,  and  afterwards  remove  the  ore  to 
the  northward  and  southward  by  stoping. 

"The  gold-laden  limestone  was  carefully  hoisted  in 
canvas  bags  to  the  surface.    Four  shifts  of  miners,  work- 


The  Manuscript  165 

ing  only  six  hours  each,  were  employed  constantly,  and 
these  were  cautioned  against  giving  out  any  information 
in  regard  to  the  find.  They  worked  for  two  days,  reach- 
ing a  depth  of  twenty-four  feet  in  the  limestone,  and  no 
diminution  in  the  quantity  of  gold  was  perceptible. 

"On  the  third  day,  however,  it  began  diminishing 
very  rapidly,  and  by  evening  the  limestone  became  hard 
and  compact,  and  without  pores.  The  bottom  of  the 
find  was  evidently  reached. 

"Work  was  continued  some  distance  farther,  but  all 
trace  of  gold  was  lost.  Preparations  had  been  made  for 
drifting  and  stoping  out  the  gold-laden  limestone  along 
the  line  of  the  fissure,  and  this  was  immediately  begun. 

"In  both  directions  it  was  at  first  found  fully  as  rich 
as  in  the  shaft,  but  continued  so  in  the  drift  to  the  south 
at  the  bottom  of  the  shaft,  for  a  distance  of  fifty  feet  only, 
when  the  limestone  which  had  been  lying  almost  horizon- 
tal, took  an  upward  slope  at  a  very  acute  angle,  and  soon 
became  hard  and  compact,  and  the  gold  ceased. 

"In  the  level  to  the  north  the  limestone  continued, 
rich  as  before,  for  a  distance  of  about  eighty  feet  from 
the  shaft,  and  then  the  gold  ceased,  but  the  rock,  though 
very  hard,  was  completely  honeycombed,  as  in  the  one 
thousand-foot  level. 

"Work  in  the  drift  was  stopped,  and  the  limestone 
within  the  boundaries  above  indicated  was  stoped  out  as 
rapidly  as  possible. 

"By  the  25th  of  January  all  the  gold-bearing  lime- 
stone had  been  removed  and  the  superincumbent  fissure 
matter  shored  up  by  pillars.  The  deposit  had  also  been 
smelted  and  the  result  was  amazing,  for,  from  that  small 
area,  about  one  hundred  and  forty  feet  long  by  thirty-five 
feet  deep  and  eight  feet  wide,  twenty-five  million  dollars 


1 66  John  Harvey 

in  gold  had  been  taken,  and  so  quietly  that  none  but  those 
employed  knew  of  its  existence. 

"Various  opinions  were  entertained  as  to  what  might 
be  expected  from  the  matter  to  the  north  of  the  pocket, 
or  deposit,  thus  removed.  It  continued  in  a  honeycomb- 
ed wall  on  down  into  the  fissure,  and  it  was  supposed  that 
somewhere  below,  the  gold  formerly  contained  in  the  now 
barren  matter  above  it  had  found  lodgment;  as  had  that 
just  worked  out. 

"The  sudden  cessation  of  the  gold,  however,  seemed 
unaccountable  on  this  hypothesis  alone.  In  appearance 
the  limestone  exactly  resembled  that  from  which  the  gold 
had  been  taken,  yet  it  contained  none. 

"After  a  thorough  discussion  of  the  matter  with  his 
chief  engineer,  Mr.  Harvey  concluded  to  run  a  drift  from 
the  bottom  of  the  shaft  into  this  limestone  to  see  how  far 
it  continued  barren.  The  drift  was  run  for  a  distance  of 
one  hundred  feet  horizontally,  but  the  rock  continued 
barren. 

"Mr.  Harvey  then  ordered  that  a  vertical  shaft 
should  be  sunk  at  the  north  end  of  the  one  hundred-foot 
drift. 

"This  was  begun  on  the  ioth  day  of  February,  and 
on  the  1 2th  the  workmen  declared  that  the  limestone  be- 
neath them  was  hollow,  as  evidenced  by  the  sound  of  the 
blows  on  their  drills. 

"Blasting  was  discontinued,  and  resort  had  to  chisels 
and  other  tools  to  cut  out  the  rock. 

"On  the  afternoon  of  the  15th,  the  shaft  being  sunk 
twelve  feet  below  the  bottom  of  the  drift,  a  workman  sud- 
denly felt  resistance  to  a  blow  cease,  and  saw  his  chisel 
fall  to  its  head  through  the  hole,  about  two  feet  deep. 

"Proper  tackle  was  at  once  rigged  up  for  supporting 
the  men,  and  the  cutting  out  of  the  limestone  was  re- 


The  Manuscript  167 

sumed  with  increased  vigor.  About  midnight  it  had  been 
cut  through  to  within  six  inches,  and  unmistakable  evi- 
dences of  a  cavity  were  manifest. 

"At  1  o'clock  a.  m.  the  rock  had  been  pierced  at  short 
distances  around  the  entire  square  of  the  shaft,  and  two 
workmen  only  were  left  suspended  in  slings  to  break  it 
away  by  means  of  heavy  hammers. 

"From  the  tunnel  Mr.  Bond,  the  trusted  engineer, 
and  Mr.  Harvey  watched  the  proceedings.  No  impure 
air  had  been  observed  coming  from  the  cavity,  but  three 
workmen  stood  ready  to  hoist  their  fellows,  if  necessary, 
by  tackle  and  pulleys  attached  to  the  slings. 

"A  few  blows  detached  the  mass,  and  the  entire  bot- 
tom of  the  shaft  fell  with  a  crash  into  the  cavity  below.  A 
few  more  blows  cleared  the  ragged  edges  of  the  opening 
and  the  workmen  ascended  to  the  tunnel.  Some  seconds 
later,  when  the  dust  occasioned  by  the  fall  had  cleared 
away,  a  light  was  lowered  down  the  shaft,  and  the  floor  or 
bottom  of  the  cavity  was  revealed  at  no  great  distance 
below,  and  Mr.  Harvey  and  Mr.  Bond  peering  down, 
saw  amid  the  wreck  and  debris  the  yellow  sheen  of  gold. 

"They  prepared  to  descend;  an  electric  light  with 
many  long  coils  of  wire  attached  was  fastened  to  a  sling; 
the  lamp  hanging  a  few  feet  below  it,  and  a  light  pick  and 
a  signal  cord  were  also  provided. 

"They  took  their  places  and  were  lowered  cautiously 
until  the  end  of  the  shaft  was  reached.  Slowly  the  electric 
light  passed  into  the  cavern,  irradiating  it;  and  slowly  the 
two  men  followed  until  they  also  had  passed  through. 

"An  involuntary  exclamation  burst  from  their  lips, 
and  both  almost  closed  their  eyes  until  the  floor  was 
reached.  The  wealth  of  all  the  Indies  seemed  beneath 
their  feet,  and  piled  around  them.    They  were  in  v.n  ir- 


1 68  John  Harvey 

regular  cavern,  extending  along  the  fissure  north  and 
south  from  them. 

"The  floor  from  three  to  six  feet  wide,  and  parts  of 
the  walls,  which  varied  from  six  to  fifteen  feet  in  height, 
were  covered  with  gold.  The  white  light  of  the  electric 
lamp  shone  yellow  with  the  reflection,  and  the  heads  of 
the  two  men  grew  dizzy  at  the  sight  of  this  vast  accumula- 
tion of  the  metal  for  which  men  had  worked,  and  toiled, 
and  died,  since  time  began. 

"Mr.  Harvey  first  recovered,  and  released  himself 
from  the  sling.  Without  a  word  he  unfastened  the  elec- 
tric light  with  its  wire  coils  and  gave  it  to  Mr.  Bond,  and, 
taking  the  pick  in  his  own  hand,  led  the  way;  and  the  two 
men,  excitement  depicted  on  every  feature,  began  their 
exploration  toward  the  northward. 

"The  cavern  bore  in  this  direction  uninterruptedly  a 
distance  of  nearly  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet,  when  fur- 
ther progress  was  barred  by  a  partition  of  granite  rising 
from  the  floor.  A  narrow  aperture,  however,  was  found, 
through  which  Mr.  Bond  passed  holding  the  light,  and 
Mr.  Harvey  came  after.  The  cavern  still  followed  the 
trend  of  the  fissure  northward. 

"Everywhere  its  floor,  which,  however,  was  narrower 
than  the  ceiling  or  top,  was  covered  with  gold,  and  other 
areas  or  patches  of  gold  occupied  places  on  its  sides;  and 
wherever  there  was  a  shelf,  it  was  covered  with  gold.  The 
metal  seemed  to  have  fallen  into  the  cavern  from  above, 
in  a  liquid,  or  molten  state,  and  to  have  attached  itself 
wherever  it  could  find  lodgment. 

"Slowly  the  now  dazed  explorers  picked  their  way; 
sometimes  stooping,  again  walking  upright,  as  the  head 
room  was  lower  or  higher;  sometimes  passing  through 
narrow  lanes,  until  over  four  hundred  feet  more  had  been 
traversed. 


The  Manuscript  169 

"At  this  point  the  fissure  merged  into  a  solid  granite 
wall  in  which  no  aperture  could  be  found. 

"They  had  reached  the  northern  boundary  of  the 
cavity,  at  a  little  over  six  hundred  feet  from  their  point 
of  entrance,  and  throughout  the  whole  distance  gold  had 
been  found  in  abundance  everywhere. 

"No  fissure  existed  in  the  bottom,  and  all  the  gold 
seemed  to  have  come  from  the  ore  above,  filtered  through 
the  limestone  rock  into  the  long  pocket,  or  cavern,  now 
revealed. 

"Silently  the  two  men  retraced  their  steps,  stopping 
occasionally  to  strike  a  few  blows  with  the  sharp 
pick  through  the  gold  covering  on  the  floor  to  ascertain 
its  thickness  and  the  nature  of  the  rock  beneath.  This  as 
well  as  the  walls  on  either  side  they  found  to  be  granite, 
and  the  gold  was  from  one-fourth  to  three  and  even  four 
inches  thick. 

"The  light  of  their  lamp  shone  up  the  shaft,  inform- 
ing the  miners  overhead  of  their  safe  return,  and  they 
proceeded  on  southward.  The  same  generous  deposit  of 
gold  continued,  but  the  cavern  began  to  narrow,  and  at 
a  little  over  eighty  feet  the  granite  walls  came  together, 
and  its  southern  boundary  was  reached. 

"The  two  men  paused,  and  conversed  in  regard  to 
the  find,  and  the  future. 

"  The  possession  of  this  great  treasure  fills  me  with 
awe,'  said  Mr.  Harvey.  'You  know  my  ideas,  Bond,  in 
regard  to  what  men  call  wealth ;  that  its  possessor  right- 
fully holds  it  to  be  employed  for  the  comfort  and  happi- 
ness of  others  as  well  as  his  own.  I  have  tried  to  use  what 
has  already  been  given  me  in  this  manner;  to  make  men 
better  and  life  brighter  and  more  beautiful  for  them.  This 
new  discovery  puts  fresh  labors  on  me,  and  on  you,  and 
on  all  of  us.    I  have  great  schemes,  Bond,  for  the  welfare 


170  John  Harvey 

of  humanity,  that  have  as  yet  been  only  dreams ;  but  this 
vast  treasure  promises  so  much  aid  in  their  accomplish- 
ment that,  as  I  stand  here,  they  seem  already  realities.  I 
want  to  discuss  them  thoroughly  with  you  and  others, 
whose  assistance  we  must  call  in  if  we  make  them  facts. 
In  the  meantime  we  must  bring  this  treasure  to  the  sur- 
face and  convert  it  into  money  that  will  buy  for  us  ma- 
terial, labor,  skill,  and  experience,  as  we  require  them, 
and  we  shall  require  them  soon,  I  think.' 

"It  was  then  settled  between  them  that  the  discov- 
ery should  be  kept  secret  for  the  present,  and  that  the  en- 
trance to  the  cavern  should  be  sealed  up  by  an  iron  door, 
at  the  departure  of  the  drift  from  the  main  shaft.  They  re- 
turned quietly  and  were  hoisted  up  by  the  workmen. 

'  'It  is  a  long,  narrow,  tortuous  cavity,'  said  Mr. 
Harvey  to  the  miners,  'and  needs  further  exploration, 
which  is  not  safe  until  the  ore  and  limestone  above  are 
taken  care  of.  We  shall  have  to  shut  it  up  and,  I  think, 
work  the  ore  down  from  the  top.' 

''These  words  were  in  accordance  with  what  was 
afterwards  done,  and  aided  in  concealing  the  great  dis- 
covery, and  none  of  the  miners  imagined  that  gold  had 
been  found. 

"On  the  5th  day  of  March,  1904,  Messrs.  Harvey  and 
Bond,  with  seven  miners,  went  down  the  main  shaft. 
These  miners  were  the  first  of  three  relays  of  seven  men 
each,  who  were  to  work  in  shifts  of  eight  hours  in  taking 
out  the  ore  in  the  cavern.  Forty  men  in  all  had  been 
chosen;  some  to  hoist  the  ore;  some  to  convey  it  along  a 
covered  way  to  the  walled  court  of  the  laboratory,  and 
others  to  smelt  it  and  store  the  precious  metal  in  the  great 
treasure  vaults.  All  these  operations  were  to  be  carefully 
concealed,  and  these  men  were  required  to  devote  them- 
selves entirely  to  this  work  till  completed,  and  to  remain 


The  Manuscript  1J1 

till  then  inside  the  laboratory  grounds,  where  the  smelt- 
ing would  take  place,  and  were  solemnly  sworn  to  the  ut- 
most secrecy.  All  apparatus  for  lighting  the  shaft,  tun- 
nel, and  cavern,  was  ready  to  be  put  in  place  by  the 
miners.  No  eyes  but  those  of  Messrs.  Harvey  and  Bond 
had  as  yet  beheld  the  cavern;  and  it  may  be  added  no  eyes 
but  theirs,  and  those  of  the  twenty-one  miners,  ever  be- 
held it  till  shorn  of  all  its  golden  glory  and  richness. 

"Some  time  was  spent  in  the  tunnel,  in  getting  the 
hoisting  apparatus  and  that  for  ventilation  and  light  in 
order;  but  about  3  o'clock  p.  m.,  Mr.  Harvey  and  Mr. 
Bond  descended,  a  light  having  been  lowered  first.  Then 
two  of  the  miners  followed.  They  were  stricken  dumb 
with  amazement  at  the  wealth  which  surrounded  them, 
but  were  put  immediately  at  work  receiving  the  tools  and 
supplies  lowered  from  the  tunnel  by  the  other  workmen. 

"At  5  o'clock  two  more  miners,  skilled  in  electric  ar- 
rangement, were  lowered.  They  also  were  bewildered, 
but  in  charge  of  Mr.  Bond  immediately  began  the  put- 
ting in  place  of  the  wires  and  lamps  for  the  electric  light- 
ing of  the  cavern;  while  the  other  two,  under  direction  of 
Mr.  Harvey,  completed  the  rest  of  the  preliminary  work 
and  received  the  remaining  stores.  By  half-past  six 
o'clock  this  was  all  done;  the  electric  current  was  turned 
on,  and  the  remaining  three  men  came  down  the  shaft. 

"The  other  two  relays  of  seven  men  each  had  also 
been  summoned,  and  a  few  moments  later  the  twenty-one 
miners  and  Mr.  Harvey  and  Mr.  Bond  stood  in  a  group 
in  the  cavern. 

"Mr.  Harvey  addressed  them  as  follows: 

"  'There  are  many  astonishing  things  to  be  seen  here, 
my  men.  After  we  have  partaken  of  food,  a  half  hour 
will  be  allowed  in  which  you  may  examine  the  cavern.  I 
will  then  speak  briefly  to  you  all,  assembled  here,  of  my 


172  John  Harvey 

wishes  and  intentions ;  and  then  to  work,  to  work,  at  such 
work  as  the  world  never  saw.' 

"The  repast  finished,  for  half  an  hour,  singly  and  in 
groups,  the  workmen  explored  the  inmost  recesses  of  the 
cavern,  and  discussed  the  wondrous  wealth  therein  con- 
tained. They  were  again  called  together  by  Mr.  Harvey, 
and,  standing  around  him,  were  thus  impressively  ad- 
dressed: 

"  'My  men  and  fellow-workers,  in  the  last  half  hour 
you  have  seen  one  of  the  most  wonderful  sights  that  it 
has  ever  fallen  to  the  lot  of  man  to  behold.  Neither  Mr. 
Bond  nor  myself  has  much  conception  of  the  wealth 
contained  in  the  great  cavity  on  whose  floor  we  stand. 

"  'Since  the  world  began  men  have  used  gold,  be- 
cause of  its  scarcity  and  adaptability  for  the  purpose,  as  a 
standard  by  which  to  gauge  the  value,  and  to  purchase 
all  other  things  produced,  owned,  or  consumed  among 
them. 

"  'This  long-continued  use  has  so  inwrought  in  the 
mind  the  idea  of  its  great  value  that  I  see  astonishment 
and  excitement  in  your  faces  at  this  spectacle.  Had  this 
cavern  contained  like  quantities  of  iron,  lead  or  copper, 
no  such  emotions  would  have  been  aroused;  and  yet  any 
one  oF'these  metals  in  itself  is  worth  far  more  to  mankind 
than  gold.  The  fictitious  value  which  men  have  given  it, 
alone  makes  it  worth  a  thousand  times  more  than  a  like 
amount  of  any  of  these  metals,  but  might  easily  be  dis- 
turbed were  great  quantities  of  it  found. 

"  T  desire  that  this  discovery  should  be  kept  secret. 
I  am  but  the  custodian  of  this  treasure,  and  must  use  it  at 
the  valuation  the  world  puts  upon  it,  not  for  my  own 
benefit  alone,  but  for  that  of  mankind. 

"  T  have  tried  to  make  what  has  already  been  given 
me  a  blessing  to  myself  and  to  my  countrymen;  I  hope  to 


The  Manuscript  173 

make  this  discovery  a  means  of  still  greater  good  to  a 
still  greater  number. 

'  T  have  plans  for  this  purpose  which  I  cannot  dis- 
close, and  which  it  will  take  years  to  mature,  for  time 
and  thought  are  required  for  their  completion. 

'  'Were  it  known  that  this  addition  had  been  thus 
made  to  what  men  call  my  wealth,  a  hundred  hindrances 
would  be  placed  in  my  way  by  others  desirous  of  gain. 
The  eyes  of  greedy  and  unscrupulous  men  would  be  turned 
on  me,  and  their  subtle  brain  and  energy  would  be  used  to 
secure  a  portion  of  this  fortune,  and  to  thwart  and  hinder 
my  plans,  which  if  carried  out  will  be  a  great  and  per- 
manent blessing  to  you,  to  me,  and  to  posterity. 

"  'You  can  aid  me  in  the  furthering  of  these  designs 
by  concealing  this  discovery  from  the  knowledge  of  all 
persons,  even  from  your  wives  and  children,  until  I  have 
matured  and  perfected  them;  until  I  give  you  leave  to 
speak. 

"  'You  are  picked  men,  chosen  from  six  thousand, 
for  your  intelligence,  your  reticence,  and  your  loyalty 
to  me. 

'  'You  are  all  middle-aged  men,  men  of  families,  and 
in  addition  to  the  oaths  of  loyalty  and  secrecy  you  have 
already  taken,  I  charge  you  to  lisp  not,  breathe  not,  the 
fact  of  this  discovery  to  any  one;  to  hide  it  and  all  I  may 
have  spoken,  in  your  hearts;  nay,  even  to  discourage  cu- 
riosity by  your  commonplace  and  disparaging  remarks 
about  it. 

"  'Do  this  until  I  give  you  leave  to  speak,  and  then 
}  011  may  tell  the  story  of  how  you  stood  this  night  in  .he 
depths  of  the  Bilboa  mines  and  looked  on  that  wondrous 
store  of  gold  that  in  after  years  so  changed  the  land.  Then 
you  may  claim  to  have  been  my  acknowledged  fellow- 
workers  in  labors  vast  and  grand,  and  fraught  with  un- 


174  John  Harvey 

told  benefit  to  the  human  race.  Then,  when  you  go 
abroad.,  men  will  turn  and  look  upon  you  and  say:  "There 
goes  one  of  the  twenty-three,  who  alone  saw  the  great 
riches  of  the  Bilboa  mines." 

"  Tn  return  I  promise  each  and  every  one  of  you 
that  you  shall  be  my  especial  care,  through  life,  at  death, 
and  your  children  after  you ;  only  requiring  that  you  keep 
your  oaths  in  truth  and  verity. 

'  'This,  also,  I  shall  promise,  on  similar  conditions, 
to  the  nineteen  men  above,  engaged  in  another  part  of 
this  great  work. 

"  'All  this  I  confirm  by  my  oath  as  you  have  by 
yours.  Woe  to  the  man  recreant  to  these  vows ;  upon  him 
be  visited  the  vengeance  of  man  and  of  God.' 

"He  ceased  his  address,  which  was  delivered  and  re- 
ceived with  great  solemnity,  and  after  giving  minute  di- 
rections for  the  prosecution  of  the  work,  returned  with 
Mr.  Bond,  and  the  unemployed  miners,  to  the  surface. 

"Until  the  ioth  day  of  May,  1904,  work  was  contin- 
ued in  the  cavity  thus  found.  On  that  day  its  entire  con- 
tents had  been  removed  and  smelted,  and  the  gold  pro- 
duced, or  its  equivalent  in  coin,  deposited  in  Mr.  Harvey's 
treasure  vaults,  and  it  reached  the  enormous  sum  of  one 
hundred  and  forty  million  dollars. 

"Altogether  he  had  in  them  two  hundred  million  dol- 
lars, of  which  about  seventy-five  million  was  in  bars,  the 
remainder  being  in  coin. 

"The  unminted  gold  had  been  sold  in  Europe  and  in 
various  places  in  the  United  States ;  yet  in  so  quiet  a  way 
that  no  rumors  of  the  recent  discovery  had  been  set 
afloat." 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE     MANUSCRIPT. 

Thus  the  manuscript  described  the  finding  of  this 
great  treasure,  talk  of  which  I  had  heard  in  my  boyhood. 

The  story  had  even  now  the  air  of  a  romance,  yet 
within  the  last  few  days  I  had  seen  a  structure  largely 
composed  of  the  white  metal  taken  from  the  very  mines 
of  which  I  had  been  reading. 

I  soon  called  again  to  see  Miss  Clothilde.  I  found 
her  alone,  and  informed  her  of  the  progress  I  had  made 
in  perusing  the  book  and  the  interest  it  excited  in  my 
mind. 

"I  have  read  far  enough,"  I  said,  "to  understand  that 
John  Harvey  considered  himself  as  merely  holding  this 
treasure  in  trust,  but  not  far  enough  to  know  how  he  did 
in  fact  use  it." 

"That,"  she  replied,  "will  appear  later.  But,"  and 
she  hesitated  a  moment,  "it  would  be  interesting  to  im- 
agine what  we  ourselves  would  do  with  such  a  vast  sum 
if  we  possessed  it.  Suppose  that  you,  for  instance,  Mr. 
Maxwell,  found  yourself  in  absolute  control  of  millions, 
not  accumulated  by  the  schemes  and  labors  of  a  lifetime, 
but  suddenly  thrust  upon  you;  what  do  you  think  you 
would  do  with  them?" 

"Frankly  I  cannot  tell,  Miss  Clothilde,"  I  answered, 
with  some  embarrassment  at  the  unusual  question. 

"Nay,"  she  said,  noticing  this,  "I  did  not  intend  my 
inquiry  to  be  either  impertinent  or  idly  curious;  but  I 
have  an  earnest  desire  that  you  should  compare  John 

175 


176  John  Harvey 

Harvey's  disposition  of  his  wealth  with  that  which  others 
make  of  theirs,  and  judge  his  character  accordingly." 

"Great  wealth,"  I  replied,  "has  usually  been  em- 
ployed by  its  possesors  in  comprehensive  schemes  for  se- 
curing control  of  production,  or  the  profits  of  its  distri- 
bution." 

"And  for  what  objects,  Mr.  Maxwell?"  she  asked. 

"Mainly,  I  regret  to  say,  for  self-aggrandizement  or 
self-gratification.  There  have  been  exceptional  cases,  but 
these  have  been  the  general  objects." 

"They  certainly  are  not  very  high  ones!"  she  ex- 
claimed. 

"No,"  I  again  answered,  "they  might  be  called  po- 
tent, but  assuredly  not  high  motives.  Miss  Ashley,  the 
other  evening,  spoke  of  what  are  truly  high  ones,  and  I 
believe  with  her  that  before  we  can  have  full  recognition 
of  the  rights  of  man  we  must  be  christianized." 

"I  believe  so  too,"  she  replied,  "but  that  statement  is 
often  used  either  as  an  excuse  for  the  wilful  ignoring  of 
those  rights,  or  for  doing  nothing  to  secure  them.  An 
awakened  Christianity,  practicing  the  principles  which 
glorify  it,  is  what  we  need. 

"All  over  the  land,"  she  continued,  "thousands 
throng  the  churches.  I  have  read  that  in  the  times  when 
slavery  was  a  recognized  institution  both  masters  and 
slaves  were  church-goers;  yet  the  former  never  acknowl- 
edged the  rights  of  the  latter,  and  excused  this  neglect  by 
the  alleged  unfitness  of  the  slaves  to  exercise  those  rights, 
and  were  zealous  in  promulgating  among  them  that  emo- 
tional Christianity  which  tended  to  reconcile  them  to  vas- 
salage and  make  them  more  conscientious  and  faithful 
servants.  There  is  an  immense  amount  of  this  same 
teaching  in  churches  to-day,  and  it  has  no  practical  re- 
sult for  the  benefit  of  the  people,  Mr.  Maxwell." 


The  Manuscript  177 

"I  agree  with  you,"  I  said.  "I  have  heard  it  often. 
The  leaders,  in  the  church  as  well  as  elsewhere,  should 
be  men  who  love  justice,  deal  honestly,  and  speak  the 
truth  fearlessly  and  constantly.  There  are  many  such 
men,  but  they  are  overborne  by  the  system  under  which 
they  live." 

"I  have  little  patience,"  said  she,  "with  half  way 
measures,  or  such  leaders.  Let  them  change  the  sys- 
tem. Let  them  have  the  bravery  and  the  manhood  to  do 
it.  It  was  done  in  the  days  of  slavery,  and  later  another 
kind  of  serfdom  was  prohibited  in  this  land  of  ours,  large- 
ly by  the  efforts  of  one  clear-sighted  man. 

"I  think  the  difficulty  is  principally  with  the  leaders. 
They  have  not  been  in  earnest;  they  have  not  been  ready 
to  adopt  proper  means  to  emancipate  the  race;  they  do 
everything  by  old  rules. 

"Frequently  self-glorification  is  the  main  object.  So- 
cieties for  the  advancement  of  nearly  all  phases  of  man's 
condition  meet  in  convention,  indulge  in  self-laudation, 
pass  resolutions,  collect  money,  and  adjourn  without  tak- 
ing such  steps  as  earnest  business  men  endeavoring  to 
effect  the  same  ends  would  at  once  employ.  And  then 
again,  Mr.  Maxwell,  how  many  of  such  reforms  get  down 
to  the  roots  of  the  evils  they  aim  to  remove?  You  see  no 
drunkenness  in  the  Nationality,  but  this  is  not  so  much 
because  of  laws  against  the  sale  of  intoxicants  as  that 
we  have  abolished  the  causes,  poverty,  hopelessness,  and 
enforced  idleness,  which  led  men  to  use  stimulants.  Had 
we  been  fetter  bound  by  an  old  system  we  could  not  have 
laid  the  ax  at  the  root  of  the  tree  of  evil,  'but  would  have 
kept  on  lopping  off  branches  while  others  were  contin- 
ually growing  out. 

"All  our  successes  have  been  attained,  and  will  con- 
tinue to  be  attained,  only  in  the  line  of  thorough  and  in- 


178  John  Harvey 

telligent  removal  of  the  causes  of  evil.  The  masses  of 
mankind  will  be  rapidly  converted — only  when  Chris- 
tians exhibit  the  results  of  their  profession  by  extending 
justice  and  brotherly  kindness,  not  charity  and  alms,  to 
their  fellow  men." 

She  had  grown  very  earnest  and  animated  in  her 
remarks,  which  were  a  new  revelation  of  the  vigor  of  her 
thought. 

"I  am  glad,  Miss  Clothilde,"  I  said,  "that  you  have 
spoken  so  freely.  I  have  thought  long  on  these  subjects, 
and  am  beginning  to  see  my  way  clearly,  and  have  ob- 
tained much  light  from  you  and  your  friends." 

She  accompanied  me  to  the  door  and  asked  me  to 
return  soon,  and  I  walked  home  more  than  ever  charm- 
ed with  her  loveliness  and  manifest  intelligence. 

Next  day  I  resumed  the  reading  of  the  manuscript 
which  continued  as  follows: 

"Almost  simultaneously  with  the  discovery  of  this 
great  treasure,  Mr.  Harvey  began  preparing  to  carry 
out  the  schemes  to  which  he  had  alluded  in  his  address 
to  the  workmen  and  in  his  talk  with  Mr.  Bond. 

"He  desired  to  secure  a  vast  body  of  arid  land  now 
lying  waste  and  valueless,  and  to  build  great  canals  for 
irrigating  and  a  network  of  railroads  for  traversing  it, 
and  finally  to  settle  a  colony  upon  it,  organized  on  novel 
and  humanitarian  principles. 

"He  called  to  his  aid  eminent  lawyers,  skillful  en- 
gineers, and  a  few  well-known  philanthropists,  to  whom 
alone  he  revealed  his  final  purpose.  These  persons  were 
all  sworn  to  secrecy,  and  a  brotherhood  was  thus  formed, 
which  was  lifelong  in  its  duration  and  far-reaching  in  its 
effects. 

"Many  millions  of  acres  of  arid,  and  semi-arid  land, 
lie  within  the  boundaries  of  the  states  of  South  Dakota, 


The  Mannscrift  i^g 

Wyoming,  Nebraska,  Colorado,  Kansas,  Arizona,  New 
Mexico,  Texas,  and  Oklahoma.  These  lands  form  for 
the  most  part  great  plains,  broken  in  some  places,  but 
generally  level,  or  gently  rolling,  with  an  equable  fall 
from  the  mountains  to  the  east,  very  favorable  for  irriga- 
tion. 

"At  intervals  of  a  hundred  miles,  or  so,  apart,  they 
are  traversed  by  small  streams,  hardly  worthy  of  being 
dignified  by  the  name  of  rivers,  which  have,  however, 
in  bygone  times  had  an  important  part  in  fertilizing  and 
shaping  this  land. 

"There  was  but  little  or  no  rainfall  in  this  region, 
and  but  little  water.  A  native  growth  of  scant  grass  cov- 
ered it,  and  it  had  been  given  up  almost  entirely  to  pas- 
turage. 

"A  few  years  before,  the  government  of  the  United 
States  had  donated  to  the  individual  states  all  the  lands 
belonging  to  it,  within  their  respective  borders. 

"The  states  in  which  these  arid  lands  were  situated 
were  but  thinly  settled  and  were  poor  and  in  debt,  and  to 
add  to  their  distresses,  a  great  monetary  panic,  or  revul- 
sion, had  occurred  which  lasted  many  years. 

"This  was  caused  largely  by  the  peculiar  monetary 
system  of  the  United  States  and  Europe,  which  rendered 
it  possible  for  a  few  financial  kings  to  control  the  supply 
of  money  and  manipulate  it  as  they  pleased.  For  years 
these  persons  dictated  legislation  in  regard  to  it,  furtively 
increasing  its  value,  and  decreasing  that  of  labor  and  all 
commodities. 

"Finally  the  relations  between  money  and  other 
property  were  so  distorted  that  all  values  were  unsettled, 
the  mass  of  small  money  owners  became  frightened,  and 
this  revulsion  occurred  throughout  the  civilized  world 


180  John  Harvey 

with  unprecedented  suddenness,  and  industry  was  paral- 
yzed. 

"In  the  United  States  a  comparatively  undeveloped 
and  debtor  nation,  the  effect  was  to  double  and  treble 
every  one's  liabilities,  and  for  some  time  men  stood 
aghast,  completely  overcome  by  the  calamity  that  had 
fallen  upon  them  like  a  bolt  from  heaven,  uncertain  to 
what  to  attribute  it,  and  entirely  at  a  loss  how  to  remedy 
the  disaster. 

"The  inevitable  results  were  pauperism  and  distress 
among  the  people,  and  bankruptcy  and  failure  of  credit 
among  the  states,  especially  those  before  mentioned. 

"In  this  dilemma  the  project  of  selling  these  arid 
lands  had  been  broached.  It  was  thought  that  some  per- 
sons, or  company,  could  be  found  willing  to  buy  them, 
and  thus  enable  these  states  to  replenish  their  treasuries 
without  burdening  their  struggling  people. 

"The  project  found  favor  with  their  citizens,  and 
their  legislatures  passed  laws,  nearly  uniform,  authoriz- 
ing the  issuance  of  scrip  which  would  be  received  in  pay- 
ment for  the  public  lands. 

"These  laws  provided  for  their  classification  into  arid, 
semi-arid,  irrigable,  pasture,  timber  and  mineral  bear- 
ing lands,  and  fixed  prices  upon  them,  and  commission- 
ers were  already  at  work,  inspecting  and  enumerating 
them  under  these  heads. 

"Any  amount  of  this  scrip  could  be  bought  and  lo- 
cated anywhere,  by  any  person  or  company  at  the  fixed 
price  per  acre,  on  any  land  thus  classified,  and  all  land 
thus  bought  and  located  was  exempt  from  taxation  for 
ten  years.  Such  were  the  general  provisions  of  these 
laws. 

"On  the  ist  of  June  of  the  year  1904,  parties  of  skilled 
engineers  and  topographers  were  sent  out  by  Mr.  Harvey 


The  Manuscript  181 

with  orders  to  make  close  and  accurate  surveys  of  these 
lands,  showing  their  elevations  and  depressions,  the  na- 
ture of  their  soils,  and  giving  all  information  necessary 
to  a  thorough  knowledge  of  them. 

"From  the  Missouri  River  in  South  Dakota,  to  the 
Arkansas  River  in  Colorado,  and  from  thence  down  into 
Texas,  other  parties  of  engineers  were  busy  locating  the 
line  of  a  great  canal  along  and  near  the  base  of  the  moun- 
tains. 

"This  region  was  thinly  settled,  and  it  was  supposed 
by  the  inhabitants  that  the  engineering  work  upon  the 
great  plains  was  done  at  the  instance  of  companies  who 
contemplated  extensive  purchases  of  land  for  cattle  rais- 
ing, and  designed  building  a  line  of  railway. 

"By  the  end  of  November  Mr.  Harvey's  engineering 
department  had  in  their  possession  a  complete  topograph- 
ical description  of  all  this  arid  region,  and  had  also  estab- 
lished on  the  ground  the  line  of  the  contemplated  canal 
and  railway. 

"A  summary  of  the  report  of  the  engineering  de- 
partment will,  however,  best  explain  the  work  thus  plan- 
ned, which  was  afterward  completed  as  therein  set  forth. 

"This  report  says: 

"  'The  problem  presented  to  your  engineers  was  a 
mighty  one,  being  no  less  than  to  determine  the  feasi- 
bility of  reclaiming  by  irrigation'  a  great  body  of  arid 
and  semi-arid  lands  extending  from  the  104th,  or  105th, 
to  the  98th  degree  of  longitude;  said  lands  being  in  por- 
tions of  the  states  of  South  Dakota,  Wyoming,  Nebraska, 
Kansas,  Colorado,  New  Mexico,  Arizona,  Texas  and 
Oklahoma. 

"  'This  could  only  be  done  *by  the  construction  of  a 
great  irrigating  canal  extending  northerly  and  southerly 
in  main  direction  through  this  region,  with  several  great 


1 82  John  Harvey 

lateral  canals  from  it;  the  main  canal  to  be  taken  out  from 
the  Missouri  River,  that  being  the  only  stream  capable  of 
furnishing  an  adequate  supply  of  water  for  the  purpose. 

"'  'The  necessity  of  veiling  the  scheme  until  its  feas- 
ibility and  the  exact  line  of  the  canal  could  be  deter- 
mined, and  the  lands  to  be  watered  from  it  could  be 
cheaply  secured,  was  also  impressed  upon  your  engin- 
eers, and  they  are  happy  to  say  that  this  was  accom- 
plished, for  a  great  line  of  railroad  running  northerly  and 
southerly  and  connected  with,  or  capable  of  being  con- 
tinued to,  some  point  on  the  Gulf  Coast  possessing  a 
convenient  harbor,  was  another  and  a  very  necessary  part 
of  the  plan,  and  furnished  an  adequate  excuse  to  the  pub- 
lic for  the  extensive  surveys  made. 

:<  'It  was  found,  after  running  various  lines,  that  the 
mouth  of  the  canal  must  be  thrown  much  farther  to  the 
eastward  on  the  Missouri  River  than  had  been  at  first 
supposed,  and  that  no  part  of  Wyoming  could  be  in- 
cluded in  the  present  scheme. 

"  'It  was  also  found  that  the  amount  of  land  origin- 
ally contemplated  to  be  watered  was  so  great  as  to  make 
the  scheme  almost  impracticable,  and  it  is  therefore  ad- 
vised that  the  canal  be  primarily  extended  only  as  far  as 
the  Arkansas  River. 

"  Tt  is  recommended,  however,  that  it  be  made  of 
such  size  as  to  furnish  abundance  of  water  for  the  irriga- 
tion of  all  lands  under  it,  so  as  to  be  capable  of  extension 
south  of  the  Arkansas  River  as  soon  as  these  lands  shall 
be  thoroughly  saturated,  and  the  water  courses  running 
through  them,  of  which  the  Xiobrara,  the  White,  the 
Platte  and  its  confluents  are  the  principal,  begin  to  swell, 
when  the  amount  of  water  requisite  to  be  furnished  from 
the  canal  for  the  irrigation  of  these  lands  can  be  very 
materially  diminished. 


The  Manuscript  183 

"  To  make  this  plainer,  your  engineers  estimate  the 
amount  of  water  necessary  to  be  carried  in  the  main  canal 
during  the  irrigating  season  of  five  months,  for  irrigating 
thirty  million  acres  of  land  during  the  first  year  after 
the  construction  of  the  canal,  to  be  such  a  quantity  as 
would  cover  the  land  one  foot  in  depth  if  spread  upon  it; 
but  that  owing  to  causes  above  mentioned,  in  succeed- 
ing years,  probably  as  soon  as  in  the  third  year  of  irri- 
gation, only  one-half  as  much  water  need  be  used  from 
the  canal  for  the  same  purpose. 

"  'Your  engineers  mention  thirty  million  acres  of 
land,  as  that  is  the  amount  they  expect  to  irrigate  directly 
from  the  canal  they  have  decided  to  recommend  for  con- 
struction. 

"  'There  are,  however,  on  the  line  of  the  canal  many 
reservoirs  of  great  capacity  which  can  be  filled  at  other 
times  than  during  the  months  of  May,  June,  July,  August 
and  September,  the  season  for  irrigation. 

"  'The  quantity  which  can  be  stored  in  them  has 
been  carefully  estimated  by  your  engineers,  and  is  found 
to  be  amply  sufficient  for  the  irrigation  of  twenty-seven 
million  more  acres  of  land,  and  they  would  therefore  rec- 
ommend the  purchase  of  fifty-seven  million  acres  of  land 
as  hereinafter  more  fully  described,  to  be  watered  from 
the  canal  and  its  reservoirs. 

"  'For  many  reasons  besides  that  of  assistance  in 
constructing  the  canal,  it  is  desirable  that  the  railroad 
should  follow  the  course  of  the  former,  and  it  is  recom- 
mended that  throughout  its  entire  length  it  be  a  double 
track  line. 

"  'Your  engineers  have  located  the  northern  ter- 
minus of  the  railroad  at  a  point  on  the  Northern  Pacific 
Road  in  Dakota,  about  fifty  miles  northeast  of  the  Mis- 
souri River,  near  the  town  of  Bessieres. 


184 


John  Harvey 


JAi*x 


MAP  OF  THE  IRRIGATING  CANAL. 


The  Manuscript  185 

"  'It  will  cross  the  Missouri  River  by  a  bridge  at, 
or  near,  the  head  gate  of  the  canal,  and  follow  the  eastern 
bank  of  the  latter  to  the  Arkansas  River,  and  proceed 
thence  as  shown  on  the  accompanying  map  of  the  en- 
tire region,  through  New  Mexico  and  Texas  to  its  south- 
ern terminus  at  Corpus  Christi,  on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

"  'The  head  gate  of  the  canal  will  be  located  on  the 
Missouri,  just  south  of  where  the  Cheyenne  River  enters 
it,  the  rocky  walls  through  which  the  Missouri  there 
passes  ensuring  solidity  and  permanence. 

"  'At  the  head  gate  the  canal  will  be  six  hundred  feet 
wide,  and  continue  this  width  for  about  three  miles.  It 
will  then  widen  until,  at  the  distance  of  two  miles  farther, 
it  will  attain  its  full  width  of  nine  hundred  feet.  This 
whole  distance  of  five  miles  will  be  cut  through  solid 
rock.  The  canal  will  then  run,  with  the  width  last  above 
mentioned,  and  with  an  average  depth  of  fifteen  feet, 
which  depth  it  will  maintain  throughout  its  entire  course, 
about  seventy-five  miles,  in  a  south-easterly  direction, 
when  occurs  the  first  great  reservoir,  marked  No.  1,  cov- 
ering twenty-thousand  acres,  which  can  be  filled  to  an 
average  depth  of  one  hundred  feet,  and  is  capable  of 
storing  water  for  the  use  of  nearly  all  the  five  million 
acres  of  semi-arid  land  in  South  Dakota. 

"  'It  will  continue  the  same  course  seventy-five  miles 
farther,  and  cross  the  southern  boundary  line  of  South 
Dakota  about  thirty-five  miles  from  the  southwest  cor- 
ner of  the  state,  and  continuing  the  same  general  direc- 
tion for  a  distance  of  fifty  miles  through  the  northwest 
corner  of  the  state  of  Nebraska  toward  its  western  boun- 
dary, will  cut  past  the  head  of  the  Niobrara  River. 

"  Two  great  reservoirs,  Nos.  2  and  3,  are  met  with 
in  this  fifty  miles,  the  smaller  located  about  ten  miles 
south  of  the  northern  boundary  line  of  the  state  of  Ne- 


1 86  John  Harvey 

v 

braska,  containing  twenty-five  thousand  acres,  with  an 
average  depth  of  sixty  feet,  in  which  can  be  stored  nearly 
enough  water  for  the  three  million  acres  of  semi-arid  land 
lying  north  of  the  Niobrara  in  Nebraska,  the  other  lying 
just  south  of  the  Niobrara  River  containing  nearly  fifty 
thousand  acres,  with  an  average  depth  of  eighty  feet, 
capable  of  holding  sufficient  water  to  irrigate  about  six 
millions  of  the  twenty  million  acres  of  arid  land  lying 
north  of  the  Platte  River,  and  west  of  the  98th  degree 
of  longitude,  in  Nebraska. 

"  'For  this  whole  distance  of  two  hundred  miles, 
except  the  first  five  miles,  the  course  of  the  canal  lies 
through  an  arable  country,  though  much  broken,  and 
no  great  fills,  nor  any  considerable  amount  of  rock  work 
is  met  with. 

"  'Turning  nearly  due  south,  at  a  distance  of  about 
thirty  miles  from  the  western  boundary  of  the  state  of 
Nebraska,  the  canal  will  pass  through  an  easy  country, 
until  it  approaches  the  valley  of  the  North  Platte  River, 
which  is  generally  from  one  to  two  miles  wide,  but  at  the 
point  chosen  for  crossing  is  narrowed  to  a  distance  of 
three-fourths  of  a  mile,  rocky  bluffs  rising  to  the  level 
of  the  canal  on  either  side.  Prior  to  reaching  this  valley, 
however,  and  about  ten  miles  south  of  reservoir  No.  3, 
a  great  lateral,  A,  will  be  taken  out  of  the  canal,  and  flow 
eastward  along  the  dividing  line  between  the  water  sheds 
of  the  Niobrara  and  the  Platte  Rivers.  It  will  run  in 
that  direction  nearly  three  hundred  miles,  and  is  intended 
to  water  the  remaining  fourteen  million  acres  of  land  un- 
watered  by  reservoir  No.  3,  and  lying  on  those  water 
sheds. 

"  'Up  to  the  debouchment  of  this  lateral,  the  canal 
will  maintain  its  full  width  of  nine  hundred  feet ;  after  that 
point,  however,  it  will  be  reduced  to  six  hundred. 


'Hie  Manuscript  167 

"  'The  valley  of  the  North  Platte  River  will  be 
crossed  by  an  aqueduct  four  hundred  feet  in  width,  and 
the  canal  now  six  hundred  feet  wide  will  pursue  about 
the  same  course  as  before,  to  the  northern  boundary  line 
of  the  state  of  Colorado,  a  distance  of  fifty  miles  farther. 
"  'The  country,  however,  is  much  rougher,  and  no 
lc.cs  than  five  reservoir  sites,  numbered  4,  5,  6,  7,  8,  are 
found,  of  various  sizes,  ranging  from  three  thousand  to 
ten  thousand  acres,  and  capable  of  storing  sufficient  water 
to  irrigate  all  the  land  lying  under  the  canal  between  the 
north  and  south  branches  of  the  Platte,  estimated  at  four 
million  acres. 

"  'The  canal  will  enter  the  state  of  Colorado  about 
one  hundred  miles  west  of  its  eastern  boundary  line,  and 
pass  through  an  easy  country  in  a  direction  a  little  west 
of  south  for  a  distance  of  fifty  miles,  until  it  reaches  the 
valley  of  the  South  Platte  River  about  forty  miles  south- 
west of  the  town  of  Sterling,  and  in  longitude  104I  de- 
grees west. 

"  'This  valley  will  be  crossed  also  by  an  aqueduct 
of  the  same  width  as  that  over  the  North  Platte,  but  much 
longer.  After  crossing,  but  little  difficulty  is  met  with  in 
the  work;  the  great  plain  between  the  Platte,  and  the 
Arkansas  Rivers,  stretching  from  the  105th  to  the  98th 
degree  of  longitude  and  constituting  parts  of  the  states 
of  Colorado,  Nebraska  and  Kansas,  lying  for  the  most 
part  very  level. 

"  'The  canal  will  pursue  a  southerly  course  for  a 
distance  of  seventy  miles,  till  a  little  southeast  of  the  city 
of  Denver,  when  reservoir  No.  9  is  met  with,  containing 
fifteen  thousand  acres. 

"  'It  will  leave  the  city  of  Denver  about  thirty  miles 
to  the  westward,  and  run  southward  a  short  distance, 
then  trend  to  the  east  fifteen  miles  to  gain  the  summit 


1 88  John  Harvey 

of  the  divide  between  the  waters  of  the  Platte  and  Arkan- 
sas Rivers. 

"  'At  the  point  where  the  summit  is  reached  another 
great  lateral,  B,  will  carry  a  large  part  of  the  water  of 
the  canal  eastward  for  three  hundred  miles,  along  the 
top  of  this  divide,  for  the  purpose  of  watering  the  lands 
between  these  two  rivers. 

"  'The  terminus  of  this  lateral  might  be  called  the 
present  terminus  of  the  canal  itself. 

"  'The  canal,  however,  only  fifty  feet  wide,  will  bend 
back  westward,  after  crossing  the  divide,  and  run  south- 
ward, meeting  another  reservoir,  No.  10,  of  about  fifteen 
thousand  acres,  west  of  the  city  of  Colorado  Springs, 
and  running  thence  on  to  within  twenty  miles  of  the  Ar- 
kansas River,  and  about  fifty  miles  east  of  Pueblo  will 
terminate  in  a  great  reservoir,  No.  n,  of  thirty  thousand 
acres,  capable  of  storing  water  for  the  irrigation  of  three 
million  acres  of  land. 

"  'When  the  canal  is  extended  across  the  Arkansas 
this  portion  can  be  widened  to  the  proper  size. 

"  'The  entire  length  of  the  canal  thus  marked  on 
the  ground  by  your  engineers  will  be  four  hundred  and 
ninety  miles  from  its  mouth  to  its  termination  in  reser- 
voir No.  ii. 

"  The  course  marked  on  the  map  indicates  how  it 
may  hereafter  be  carried  across  the  Arkansas  River,  and 
through  New  Mexico  to  the  heads  of  the  Pecos  and  Rio 
Grande  Rivers,  whose  beds  might  be  used  as  channels 
for  conveying  water  for  the  irrigation  of  the  semi-arid 
lands  lying  in  that  state,  in  Texas,  and  in  Oklahoma. 

"  'Your  engineers  have  considered  that  the  canal 
should  have  a  constant  flow  of  water  through  its  entire 
length  during  the  whole  year,  the  amount  to  be  regulated 
by  the  head  gates. 


((  I 


It   . 


T/ie  Manuscript  189 

"  They  have  made  the  following  summary  of  lands 
capable  of  being  irrigated  either  directly,  or  indirectly, 
therefrom,  stating  from  whence  the  water  for  irrigating 
the  same  can  be  taken: 
"  'In  South  Dakota  (semi-arid) — 
To  be  watered  from  reservoir 
No.  1  and  from  the  White 
and    Niobrara    Rivers,   in- 
creased in  flow 5,000,000 

In  Nebraska  (north  of  the  Nio- 
brara River,  semi-arid) — 
To  be  watered  from  reservoir 

No.  2 3,000,000 

In    Nebraska     (north    of    the 
Platte,  arid)— 
To  be  watered  from  reservoir 

No.  3  and  the  Platte  River  6,000,000 

To  be  watered  from  canal.  . .  .  14,000,000 

'In  Nebraska  (between  the  North 

and  South  Platte  Rivers,  arid) — 

To  be  watered  from  reservoirs 

Nos.  4,  5,  6,  7,  8  and  the 

Platte  River 2,500,000 

'In   Colorado 1,500,000 

'In     Nebraska     (south    of    the 
Platte  River,  arid) — 
To    be    watered   .from    the 

Platte  River 1,000,000 

To  be  watered  from  the  canal .  4,000,000 

In  Colorado  (between  the 
Platte  and  Arkansas  Rivers, 
arid) — 

To  be  watered  from  reservoirs 

Nos.  9,  10  and  11 5,000,000 


<(  1 


i  go  Tohn  Harvey 

To    be    watered    from    the 

canal    3,000,000 

"  'In  Kansas  (arid) — 

To  be  watered  from  the  Ar- 
kansas River 3,000,000 

To    be    watered    from     the 

canal   9,000,000 


27,000,000  30,000,000 

"This  report  of  the  engineers  was  accompanied  by 
a  great  mass  of  details,  estimates  and  drawings,  unneces- 
sary to  give  here. 

"A  report  on  the  lands  above  described,  giving  ex- 
act topographical  surveys,  and  all  particulars  in  regard 
to  them  was  also  submitted. 

"In  December,  1904,  and  in  January  of  the  year  suc- 
ceeding, the  reports  of  the  commissioners  for  classifica- 
tion of  lands  in  the  several  states  having  been  returned 
and  accepted  by  the  proper  officers,  all  the  states  before 
mentioned  offered  their  scrip  for  sale,  which  was  at  once 
taken  by  John  Harvey,  and  his  agents,  in  the  name  of  a 
company  formed  for  the  purpose  of  concealing  the  identity 
of  his  operations,  and  was  located  on  the  lands  above 
mentioned,  and  on  large  tracts  in  Texas,  Arizona  and 
New  Mexico,  as  well  as  upon  all  the  coal,  iron  and  other 
mineral  lands  offered. 

"After  paying  thirty  millions  of  dollars  for  the  lands 
thus  bought,  and  expending  five  million  more  in  the  erec- 
tion of  a  great  iron  and  steel  plant  on  the  Arkansas  River 
in  Colorado,  Mr.  Harvey  in  January,  1905,  had  remain- 
ing in  his  treasure  vaults  nearly  two  hundred  and  ten 
million  dollars,  and  was  prepared  to  begin  work  on  the 
railroad  and  canal  and  the  improvement  of  his  land  on  a 
scale  of  magnitude  never  before  known  in  the  world." 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE     ENTERTAINMENT. 

Miss  Beyresen  and  I  had  been  invited  to  an  enter- 
tainment at  the  residence  of  General  Knox,  one  of  the 
councilors,  in  honor  of  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Hamilton,  now 
the  wife  of  a  member  of  congress  from  the  state  of  New 
York. 

I  had  a  desire  to  learn  how  such  affairs  were  man- 
aged among  this  people  in  relation  to  pecuniary  outlay, 
and  asked  Miss  Clothilde  about  the  arrangements. 

"There  will  be  music,"  said  she,  "and  possibly  cards 
for  those  who  wish  to  play;  the  rooms  will  be  adorned 
with  flowers,  and  refreshments  of  some  nature  will  un- 
doubtedly be  served,  and,  indeed,  everything  will  be  much 
the  same  as  you  have  seen  on  similar  occasions  in  a  dozen 
cities  in — well,  in  China — for  that  I  believe  is  the  place 
you  last  came  from. 

"There  will  not  likely  be  the  abundance,  or  the  va- 
riety of  delicacies  with  which  Europeans  and  Americans 
farther  east  load  their  tables,  and,  excuse  me,  befuddle 
their  brains. 

"I  might  stop  here,  Mr.  Maxwell,  and  not  risk  shock- 
ing your  prejudices,  but  my  characteristic  candor  impels 
me  to  explain,  what  I  have  no  doubt  you  are  curious  to 
know,  how  the  expenses  of  such  entertainments  are  borne 
amongst  us. 

"You  see  that  little  figure  50c,  in  the  scroll  at  the  top 
of  my  invitation.  It  is  erased  from  yours,  for  you  are  not 
supposed  to  be  acquainted  with  the  cabalistic  lore  of  this 

191 


192  John  Harvey 

land.  It  means  that  the  guests  are  each  expected  to  con- 
tribute that  amount  to  such  expenses  as  I  have  mention- 
ed. They  bring  their  allowance  tickets  with  them, 
and  deposit  them  in  a  box  at  the  door,  and  that  sum  is 
deducted  from  them,  and  they  are  quietly  returned  to 
their  owners. 

"If  a  dinner  party  were  given,  it  might  cost  each  per- 
son, possibly  a  dollar.  The  whole  matter  is  arranged  in 
this  simple  way.  If  one  does  not  wish  to  go,  the  invita- 
tion can  be  declined.  We  have  public  festivities,  which 
the  state  conducts  on  a  far  more  lavish  scale,  but  our  pri- 
vate parties  are  not  expected  to  be  occasions  for  ostenta- 
tion." 

On  thinking  the  matter  over  I  was  satisfied  that  all 
repellent  feelings  about  this  plan  were,  indeed,  the  result 
of  mere  prejudice,  and  that  probably  no  other  could  be 
devised  more  effectual  in  preventing  the  evils  of  competi- 
tive extravagance  so  often  displayed  in  the  social  world 
on  such  occasions. 

Miss  Clothilde  and  I  arrived  about  eight  o'clock,  and 
I  met  a  number  of  distinguished  persons,  some  of  whom 
I  will  now  present  to  the  reader. 

Our  host,  General  Knox,  was  six  feet  four  inches  in 
height,  perfectly  proportioned,  and  of  great  strength  and 
vigor.  He  was  in  the  prime  of  life,  about  fifty  years  of 
age,  and  was  evidently  a  man  of  much  acquaintance  and 
experience  with  men  and  affairs. 

His  daughter,  Mrs.  Hamilton,  was  a  society  woman 
of  culture  and  discernment,  exhibiting  many  of  her  fath- 
er's best  traits,  very  handsome,  and  of  fine  physique. 

General  Canly,  whom  I  had  not  before  seen,  was 
about  the  same  age  as  General  Knox,  tall,  rather  slender, 
but  muscular,  dark-complexioned,  and  with  a  counten- 
ance expressing  clear  insight,  careful  examination,  decis- 


The  Entertainment  193 

ion,  prompt  execution,  and  indomitable  courage  and  res- 
olution. Great  respect  and  consideration  were  shown 
him  by  all  present,  and  by  none  more  than  our  host  him- 
self, and  I  soon  learned  that  he  was  one  of  the  most  prom- 
inent men  of  the  Nationality.  He  was  accompanied  by 
his  daughter,  a  young  lady  of  twenty-two  or  twenty-three 
years  of  age.  Though  not  beautiful,  she  was  regular  in 
feature,  tall,  willowy  and  graceful  in  figure,  very  cultured, 
and  an  apt  conversationalist;  in  fact,  I  never  met  any  one 
who  could  more  perfectly  and  easily  command  the  ap- 
propriate word  to  express  the  exact  shade  of  thought  in 
her  mind. 

Doctor  Ashley  and  his  wife  were  present,  and  also 
Miss  Ashley,  to  whom  the  reader  has  been  previously  in- 
troduced. 

Among  the  young  men  were  a  few  of  the  literati  of 
the  city:  Leon  de  Sutor,  a  gifted  author,  earnest,  fiery 
and  high-spirited,  well  known  in  the  literary  world  by  sev- 
eral volumes  of  poems  he  had  published;  John  Francis 
King,  who  has  been  introduced  before;  and  Herbert 
Jones,  whose  works  on  Political  Economy  and  Races  of 
Men  were  just  coming  into  notice. 

My  friends,  Mr.  Bradbury  and  Miss  Erickson,  were 
also  present,  the  latter  as  breezy  and  lively  as  ever. 

Altogether  there  were  not  more  than  one  hundred 
persons  in  this  assemblage,  and  they  were  so  congenial, 
and  so  evidently  met  for  mutual  enjoyment,  that  it  was 
impossible  for  even  a  comparative  stranger  like  myself  to 
feel  otherwise  than  as  if  surrounded  by  friends. 

Some  of  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  were  highly  cul- 
tivated musicians,  and  others  belonged  to  Thespian  so- 
cieties in  the  city,  and  we  were  entertained  by  them  with 
music  and  various  character  renditions  that  were  most 
artistic  and  interesting. 


194  John  Harvey 

The  utmost  cordiality  and  good-fellowship  prevail- 
ed, and  there  was  none  of  that  fashionable  rivalry  in  out- 
ward display  so  often  exhibited  elsewhere  on  such  occa- 
sions. 

It  was  a  republican  assemblage,  where  no  one  had 
precedence  except  that  gained  by  superiority  in  intelli- 
gence, wit,  cultivation  and  manners;  and  this  was  ac- 
corded without  jealousy  and  maintained  without  pride,  or 
exclusiveness. 

Very  shortly  after  our  arrival  Miss  Clothilde  left  me 
talking  with  Miss  Ashley  and  some  others,  and  though  I 
saw  her  frequently  afterward,  I  had  little  conversation 
with  her. 

Nothing  surprised  me  more  than  the  way  in  which 
she  was  received.  Every  one  appeared  to  know  and  honor 
her,  and  she  was  addressed  as  the  Princess,  quite  as  fre- 
quently as  Miss  Beyresen.  She  wore  the  title  as  if  to  the 
manor  born,  and  her  attitude  and  bearing  were  of  the 
most  queenly  and  royal  character.  Her  tall,  graceful  fig- 
ure, her  shapely  head  crowned  with  abundant  black  hair, 
her  clear  brown  cheeks  slightly  tinged  with  color,  and 
her  dark  hazel  eyes  made  her  conspicuous  amid  the  com- 
pany, and  the  frank,  honest  expression  of  her  counten- 
ance, with  her  winning  words  and  ways,  belied  the 
thought  that  at  first  arose  in  my  mind,  that  she  was  mere- 
ly playing  the  part  of  princess. 

She  moved  among  the  assemblage  with  quiet  dignity 
and  most  unaffected  grace,  with  a  pleasant  word  for  every 
one  and  a  bright  sparkle  in  her  dark  eye  for  an  especial 
friend.  In  the  course  of  the  evening  I  think  she  spoke 
to  nearly  every  person  in  the  room.  I  saw  her  saying 
something  pleasant  to  De  Sutor,  for  his  face  kindled  with 
appreciation,  and  I  could  not  help  observing  that  others 
were  following  her  movements  with  looks  of  admiration. 


The  Entertainment  .        195 

The  evening  passed  by,  and  I  made  the  acquaintance 
of  many  members  of  the  company  whom,  in  after  years,  I 
came  to  know  more  thoroughly. 

Shortly  before  the  party  broke  up,  I  met  General 
Canly,  and  we  began  talking  about  England  and  other 
European  countries,  and  particularly  their  military  power. 
I  discovered  that  the  General  was  of  French  birth,  and 
had  served  as  an  officer  in  the  armies  of  his  native  coun- 
try. I  afterwards  learned  that  he  had  won  his  title  in 
the  bloody  battles  of  the  Franco-German  struggle  of 
1918,  and  at  its  close  had  become  a  citizen  of  the  Nation- 
ality. He  informed  me  that  he  still  kept  up  his  military 
studies,  "For  unfortunately,"  said  he,  "the  happy  time 
has  not  yet  come  when  nations  may  beat  the  sword  into 
the  plowshare  and  the  spear  into  the  pruning-hook  and 
enlightened  arbitration  take  the  place  of  war.  We  have 
present  here  to-night,"  he  continued,  "three  persons  who 
have  served  in  European  armies,  yourself,  General  Knox 
and  myself.  The  General  and  I  were  on  opposite  sides, 
he  being  in  command  of  the  cavalry  in  a  German  army 
corps.  He  is  a  remarkable  man,  noted  for  his  skill,  per- 
sonal bravery,  strength  and  endurance,  and  many  won- 
derful stories  are  told  of  his  heroism.  He  also  still  keeps 
up  a  thorough  acquaintance  with  military  matters,  and 
though  since  1920  he  has  lived  peacefully  in  the  Nation- 
ality, yet,  if  occasion  should  demand,  he  is  able  and  will- 
ing to  do  good  service  in  behalf  of  his  adopted  country." 

Shortly  after  this  conversation  the  party  broke  up 
and  Miss  Clothilde  and  I  were  soon  on  our  way  home. 

"I  hope,  Mr.  Maxwell,  you  have  enjoyed  yourself 
this  evening,  despite  the  republican  simplicity  of  our  en- 
tertainment," she  said. 

"It  could  hardly  be  styled  republican,"  I  answered, 
"when  royalty  herself  was  present.    My  grievance  is  that 


1 96  John    Harvey 

among  the  multitude  of  her  subjects  she  hardly  noticed 
me  at  all.  Many  of  them  I  grant  have  held  longer  alle- 
giance, but  none  are  more  truly  loyal ;  except  for  that  I 
did  enjoy  the  evening." 

"Mr.  Maxwell,"  she  returned,  "I  don't  think  you 
have  any  cause  for  complaint;  the  chevalier  attendant 
has  the  post  of  honor.  Besides,  you  did  not  render  hom- 
age with  much  assiduity.  I  was  sufficiently  interested  to 
observe  your  actions,  and  you  consoled  yourself  most 
readily.  You  had  a  charming  companion  in  Miss  Ash- 
ley, and  I  do  not  believe  you  thought  once  of  me  while 
you  talked  with  her.  In  fact,  a  few  more  such  passages, 
and  your  loyalty  might  very  reasonably  be  questioned." 

"I  crave  permission  to  explain,"  I  replied.  "My  loy- 
alty was  never  more  intense  than  to-night.  For  a  good 
while  past  I  have  had  before  me  the  image  of  the  most 
royally  beautiful  and  charming  woman  I  have  ever  met, 
and  to-night  I  saw  her  hold  her  court  amongst  republi- 
cans as  if  to  the  purple  born.  I  hope  your  highness  will 
not  misconstrue  my  sincere  though  silent  homage." 

Hardly,"  she  answered,  quickly,  "if  it  be  measured 
by  your  pretty  speeches.  But  I  require  more  than  words, 
sir.  I  want  to  speak  to  you  to-night  about  another  mat- 
ter. I  am  commissioned  to  invite  you  to  a  boating  party. 
Miss  Ashley,  myself,  and  a  number  of  other  ladies  give 
the  party;  that  is,  we  furnish  the  boats  and  their  equip- 
ment; the  gentlemen  are  expected  to  provide  carriages 
and  lend  their  escort.  You  can  call  for  either  of  the  two 
persons  I  have  mentioned;  only  please  let  me  know 
which,  as  the  time  is  short,  and  there  are  some  prepara- 
tions to  make." 

"Truly,"  said  I,  with  mock  hesitation,  "this  is  a  most 
perplexing  situation.  Miss  Ashley  has  been  very  kind 
to  me  this  evening." 


The  Entertainment  197 

"I  know  it,"  said  Clothilde,  "and  I  am  glad  you 
remember  it  so  well,  Air.  Maxwell.  Am  I  to  consider  the 
matter  settled?" 

"No,  not  just  yet.  Is  it  probable  there  will  be  an- 
other boating  party  soon?"  I  inquired. 

"No,  there  will  not  be,"  she  said,  decidedly.  "Your 
loyalty  is  not  even  what  I  thought  it  was;  I  was  merely 
trying  it.  I  will  dispose  of  you  at  once  for  that  unneces- 
sary remark.  Mr.  King  has  already  arranged  to  call  for 
Miss  Ashley;  you  will  have  no  choice;  you  will  have  to 
go  with  me." 

"Most  willingly,  most  cheerfully,"  I  replied,  "you 
could  not  have  a  more  happy  captive." 

We  had  reached  the  house,  and  I  arranged  to  call 
for  her  on  the  afternoon  of  the  boat  ride,  and  returned 
home  thinking  of  the  opportunity  the  anticipated  excur- 
sion might  give  me  to  tell  Clothilde,  what  I  had  long 
since  admitted  to  my  own  heart,  that  I  loved  her. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE    MANUSCRIPT. 

I  resumed  the  reading  of  the  manuscript,  which  de- 
scribed very  fully  the  building  of  the  great  canal  and  its 
laterals;  the  construction  of  the  villages  and  railways,  and 
the  colonization  of  a  large  part  of  the  land  Mr.  Harvey 
had  purchased. 

I  omit  much  of  this  description,  giving  only  those 
parts  which  are  likely  to  prove  interesting  to  the  general 
reader,  and  just  enough  of  the  other  matter  to  enable  him 
to  follow  the  chronological  sequence  of  events,  and  to 
convey  an  adequate  idea  of  the  undertaking,  and  the  suc- 
cess attending  it. 

The  more  curious  or  scientific  may  gain  further  in- 
formation from  the  manuscript  itself,  and  the  charts  and 
other  data  connected  with  it,  which  are  now  being  pre- 
pared for  publication. 

"In  the  month  of  March,  1905,  Mr.  Harvey  began 
constructive  operations. 

"The  railway  from  Bilboa  to  Denver  had  been  ex- 
tended westerly,  so  as  to  strike  the  course  of  the  proposed 
canal  near  the  site  of  reservoir  No.  9.  Early  in  that  month 
one  thousand  men  were  employed  in  building  the  railway 
northward  from  this  reservoir.  At  the  point  on  the  Union 
Pacific  where  the  canal  would  cross  the  South  Platte 
as  many  more  men  were  similarly  engaged,  and  five  hun- 
dred others  were  employed  in  constructing  a  temporary 
bridge  over  the  river. 

"In  Nebraska,  on  the  main  line  of  the  Union  Pacific, 
198 


The  Manuscript  199 

two  thousand  men  were  building  northward  toward  the 
North  Platte,  and  others  were  erecting  a  temporary 
bridge  over  that  river. 

"From  the  terminus  on  the  Northern  Pacific  Rail- 
road seven  hundred  men  were  building  southward  to  the 
head  of  the  canal  on  the  Missouri  River,  and  materials 
were  being  prepared  for  a  railroad  bridge  at  the  latter 
point. 

"Work  progressed  at  a  rapid  rate,  and  by  the  end  of 
September  a  continuous  line  of  double  track  railway, 
crossing  the  Platte  Rivers  on  the  temporary  bridges  men- 
tioned, extended  from  Reservoir  No.  9  along  the  east 
bank  of  the  proposed  canal  to  the  Missouri  River  at  the 
point  where  the  head  gates  were  to  be  put  in,  and  thence 
northeasterly  to  a  junction  with  the  Northern  Pacific 
Railway. 

"A  great  electric  plant  had  been  constructed  near  the 
crossing  of  the  Missouri,  and  another  and  still  greater, 
was  being  erected  on  the  Cheyenne  River,  and  the  railway 
bridge  over  the  Missouri  was  nearly  completed. 

"During  the  succeeding  five  months  a  double-track 
road  was  built  along  and  following  the  course  of  lateral  A. 

"The  winter  of  1905  and  1906  was  a  time  of  wonder- 
ful activity  in  Bilboa  and  at  the  steel  and  iron  works  on 
the  Arkansas;  an  enormous  amount  of  material  being 
produced  at  these  places  for  the  aqueducts,  railroads,  and 
other  buildings  and  improvements  contemplated. 

"Great  quantities  of  cement  made  of  cheap,  but  dura- 
ble material,  discovered  near  Bilboa,  were  also  manufac- 
tured, being  the  same  water  cement  now  so  extensively 
used  and  known  as  Bilboa  cement. 

"On  the  15th  of  April,  1906,  one  thousand  men  be- 
gan construction  on  the  first  five  miles  of  the  canal.  For 
this  distance  its  route  lay  entirely  through  granite  rock. 


200  John  Harvey 

The  head  gates  were  to  be  set  back  four  hundred  feet 
from  the  mouth  of  the  canal,  and  a  wall  two  hundred  feet 
thick  left  between  the  river  and  the  point  to  which  the  cut 
was  made,  not  to  be  broken  down  till  the  head  gates  and 
the  waste  gates  should  have  been  put  in  place. 

"A  cut,  seventy-five  feet  deep  at  the  head  gate  and 
six  hundred  feet  wide,  was  to  be  made  to  reach  the  bot- 
tom grade  of  the  canal,  and  this  cut  continued,  averaging 
fifty  feet  deep,  for  three  miles  farther,  when  it  gradually 
diminished  in  depth  to  about  thirty  feet  at  the  end  of  the 
fourth  mile,  and  at  the  end  of  the  fifth  the  rock  disap- 
peared and  the  canal  debouched  into  an  alluvial  country, 
with  full  width  of  nine  hundred  feet,  having  been  grad- 
ually widened  in  its  passage  through  the  last  two  miles. 

"Peculiar  saws  of  varying  sizes  were  used  to  cut  the 
granite.  They  were  made  of  the  black  metal ;  cast  in  an 
accurate  mould,  the  teeth  very  sharply  angled  and  about 
an  inch  long,  the  sides  notched  and  cross  cut  like  those 
of  a  rasp,  or  file,  to  clear  away  any  binding  rock  or  other 
substance. 

"The  largest  of  these  saws  was  forty  feet  long,  one- 
fourth  inch  thick,  ten  inches  broad  in  the  center,  and  six 
inches  broad  at  the  ends,  and  weighed  six  thousand  four 
hundred  pounds.  The  method  of  operating  it  was  as  fol- 
lows :  Forty  feet  from  the  free  and  open  end  of  the  cut  a 
hole  was  drilled  in  the  granite  in  the  exact  direction  which 
the  saw  was  to  follow.  The  latter  was  then  carefully  set 
and  stayed  upon  the  granite;  an  electric  power  was  ap- 
plied at  the  free  end,  the  saw  being  drawn  outwards  about 
two-thirds  its  length  and  driven  inwards  to  the  exact  cen- 
ter of  the  drill  hole  at  every  stroke.  The  operation  of 
these  saws  was  very  rapid  and  effective,  often  sinking  a 
distance  of  three  feet  in  the  granite  in  a  quarter  hour,  and 
cutting  it  out  in  large  blocks  of  such  sizes  and  weights  as 


The  Manuscript  201 

could  be  loaded  on  cars  for  transportation  and  use  else- 
where. 

"About  one  hundred  saws  of  various  sizes  were  em- 
ployed in  manner  similar  to  that  described,  and  were  used 
whenever  rock  work  was  encountered  in  the  building  of 
the  canal,  and  when  it  was  completed,  and  they  were  care- 
fully collected  for  storage  at  Bilboa,  none  of  them  were 
affected  by  the  severe  test  to  which  they  had  been  ex- 
posed, so  indestructible  was  this  singular  metal. 

"In  constructing  the  canal  through  the  alluvial  plain, 
two  hundred  and  forty  machines,  also  of  peculiar  charac- 
ter, were  employed,  which  proved  so  successful  that  they 
were  afterwards  used  in  making  many  of  the  laterals  and 
smaller  canals  and  ditches.  These  machines  were,  in  fact, 
giant  plows  made  of  robur,  or  white  metal,  each  cutting 
out  a  furrow  five  feet  wide  and  three  feet  deep.  The  earth 
was  cast  by  the  plow  upon  an  attendant  traveler,  which 
conveyed  it  out  on  the  bank,  or  wherever  needed. 

"Each  plow,  with  the  end  of  the  traveler  attached, 
was  drawn  by  a  wire  rope,  about  eight  hundred  feet  long, 
which  was  taken  up  on  a  large  wheel,  or  drum,  the  ma- 
chinery turning  the  drum,  and  operating  the  traveler,  be- 
ing moved  by  electricity. 

"The  traveler  followed  the  plow,  running  upon  rails 
placed  at  proper  distances,  and  could  be  lengthened,  or 
shortened,  at  will,  and  used  at  varying  angles,  and  dis- 
charged the  earth  continuously  at  any  point  where  want- 
ed on  the  bank,  or  on  cars,  if  required  to  be  transported 
to  a  distance,  or  to  the  rear,  if  making  a  fill. 

"When  the  plow  reached  the  end  of  the  furrow,  near 
the  large  drum,  the  power  was  applied  to  a  small  drum 
fastened  where  the  furrow  had  begun,  generally  eight 
hundred  feet  distant,  and  a  smaller  rope,  winding  up  on 
this  drum,  dragged  plow,  traveler  and  larger  rope  to  the 


202  John  Harvey 

point  of  beginning  to  renew  the  operation.  The  drums 
at  both  ends  could  be  easily  reset  when  required  by  the 
progress  of  the  work.  « 

"In  excavating  the  canal  the  plows  were  usually 
worked  in  gangs  of  four,  the  large  drums  of  two  such 
gangs  being  set  back  to  back,  and  their  frames  bound  to- 
gether as  well  as  to  posts ;  the  return  wheels  of  one  gang 
being  set  eight  hundred  feet  up,  and  of  the  other,  eight 
hundred  feet  down  the  course  of  the  canal.  Every  thirty 
minutes  these  two  gangs  of  plows  could  excavate  a  strip 
cr  the  canal  twenty  feet  broad,  sixteen  hundred  feet  long, 

three  feet  deep. 

"The  ridge  in  the  center,  on  which  the  larger  drums 
stood,  was  cut  out  as  the  latter  were  moved,  and  carried 
off  by  an  extra  traveler. 

"In  alluvial  soil,  eight  of  these  plows  completed, 
every  fifteen  days,  the  excavation  of  a  portion  of  the  canal 
about  sixteen  hundred  feet  long,  and  of  a  breadth  of  nine 
hundred,  and  a  depth  of  fifteen  feet;  and  in  that  time  all  of 
the  machines  excavated  about  nine  miles  in  length. 

"Succeeding  these,  a  number  of  other  machines  were 
used  for  thoroughly  rolling  and  compressing  the  earth 
on  the  bottom  and  sloping  sides  of  the  canal ;  the  last  of 
which  was  a  roller  sixty  feet  long,  cased  with  black  metal, 
and  weighing  fully  one  hundred  and  fifty  tons.  After 
this  came  an  apparatus  for  thoroughly  spraying  the  earth 
in  the  canal  with  Bilboa  cement,  and  then  light  rollers 
slightly  heated  were  used,  until  its  bed  and  sides  were 
thoroughly  compacted  and  cemented. 

"It  may  be  stated  here  that  on  all  the  reservoirs  the 
work  of  leveling,  compacting  and  cementing  was  as  thor- 
oughly done  as  on  the  canal  itself.  The  construction  pro- 
gressed during  the  summer  of  1906,  over  ten  thousand 
men  being  constantly  employed  upon  it. 


The  Manuscript  203 

"Mr.  Harvey's  plan  contemplated  the  division  of  all 
his  land  into  townships,  each  twelve  miles  square. 

"As  far  as  practicable,  the  lateral  canals  were  con- 
structed east  and  west,  north  and  south,  along  these 
township  lines,  leaving  the  interior  and  smaller  ditches  to 
be  made  by  the  settlers  themselves  under  the  direction  of 
the  engineers. 

"At  the  center  of  each  township  he  designed  erecting 
a  village  of  neat,  convenient  and  attractive  homes;  fur- 
nished with  light,  water,  heat  and  electricity;  containing 
also  schools,  churches,  libraries,  public  halls  and  other 
buildings. 

"These  villages  were  to  be  connected  by  lines  of  elec- 
tric railway  running  through  them  north  and  south,  and 
east  and  west,  as  nearly  as  practicable,  on  which  the  citi- 
zens could  be  carried  to  and  from  their  places  of  labor 
within  the  township,  and  passengers  and  freight  could  be 
conveyed  from  one  village  to  another,  or  to  the  larger 
cities  which  should  be  built  later,  at  suitable  points,  as  the 
settlement  progressed. 

"During  this  summer  of  1906,  the  preparing  of  the 
sublaterals  for  the  irrigation  of  the  eight  million  acres  of 
semi-arid  land  lying  north  of  the  Niobrara,  and  to  be 
watered  from  that  stream,  and  reservoirs  Nos.  1  and  2, 
was  carried  far  toward  completion ;  and  many  houses  were 
erected  in  such  villages  in  that  region,  and  great  quanti- 
ties of  building  material  were  stored  at  convenient  points 
for  the  erection  of  others  during  the  winter. 

"The  system  of  railways  alluded  to  was  also  well 
completed  in  this  district  by  the  fall  of  1906. 

"By  the  end  of  November  of  that  year,  reservoirs 
No.  1  and  2,  and  one  hundred  and  forty  miles  of  the  main 
canal,  had 'been  finished,  and  the  great  head  gates  put  in, 
and  only  the  two  hundred  feet  of  rockwork  remained  as 


204  John  Harvey 

a  barrier  to  the  admission  of  the  water.  These  great 
works  had  cost  thus  far  ninety  million  dollars,  and  it  is 
needless  to  say  had  attracted  great  attention  throughout 
the  United  States,  and  excited  much  comment  in  the 
public  press. 

"In  the  month  of  September,  Mr.  Harvey  organized 
a  Bureau  of  Immigration,  and  in  the  name  of  a  company 
published  his  plan  for  leasing,  year  by  year,  beginning 
April  i,  1907,  the  eight  million  acres  of  land  in  the  region 
above  mentioned.    This  plan  was  briefly  as  follows: 

"First — A  family  to  consist  of  a  man,  his  wife,  his 
children  under  age,  and  his  own,  or  wife's,  sisters,  not  to 
exceed  in  all  five  persons. 

"Second — No  member  of  a  family,  and  no  unmarried 
man,  to  exceed  the  age  of  thirty. 

"Third — All  to  be  healthy,  somewhat  used  to  phys- 
ical labor,  and  to  be  of  good  moral  character. 

"Fourth — All  males  over  the  age  of  eighteen,  and  all 
females  over  fifteen  to  be  able  to  read  and  write. 

"Fifth — Each  male  head  of  a  family,  and  each  un- 
married man  over  eighteen  years  of  age,  to  pay  to  the 
company  an  entrance  fee  of  three  hundred  dollars. 

"On  or  before  April  1st,  1907,  each  family  to  be  fur- 
nished with  a  proper,  convenient,  and  comfortable  home. 

"All  power  needed,  except  manual  power,  all  tools, 
implements,  seeds,  etc.,  to  be  furnished  by  the  company 
free  of  charge. 

"Other  supplies  to  be  furnished  from  the  village 
storehouse  of  the  company  at  cost  to  the  colonists  and 
charged,  if  necessary ;  but  no  family  account  to  aggregate 
over  three  hundred  dollars,  and  that  of  no  unmarried  man 
over  two  hundred  dollars,  per  year,  and  ratably  for  parts 
of  year. 

"All  children  over  the  age  of  six;  males  up  to  eigh- 


The  Manuscript  205 

teen  and  females  up  to  fifteen,  to  attend  public  schools. 

"Every  male  and  female  above  school  age  to  work 
as  directed  eight  hours  per  day ;  the  women,  however,  at 
home,  or  in  the  villages ;  work  to  be  done  diligently,  intel- 
ligently, and  cheerfully. 

"Labor  to  be  directed  by  captains  chosen  by  every 
fifty  laborers,  approved,  however,  and  liable  to  be  dis- 
missed from  office  by  the  company,  or  its  agents,  and 
these  captains  to  share  in  the  labor. 

"All  products  to  be  reported  at  and  taken  to  the 
village  storehouse;  the  storekeeper,  being  the  agent  of 
the  company,  to  keep  account  of  all  products  received, 
and  of  those  sold. 

"On  January  1st  of  each  year,  accounts  to  be  closed, 
one-half  of  the  proceeds,  or  equivalent  for  that  propor- 
tion of  those  sold,  to  be  given  to  the  company;  the  other 
half  to  be  credited  to  heads  of  families,  or  unmarried  men 
before  described;  their  balances  to  be  paid  them  March 
1st  ensuing,  or  earlier,  if  they  desire  to  leave  the  colony. 
The  company  to  guarantee  a  fixed  scale  of  prices  on  pro- 
ducts unsold. 

"On  March  1st  all  products  to  be  sold,  or  turned 
over  to  the  company  at  such  prices,  and  every  colonist 
to  receive  his  balance. 

"On  February  1st,  those  desiring  to  lease  for  an- 
other year  must  notify  the  company,  and  if  their  services 
and  conduct  have  been  satisfactory,  may  renew  their 
leases,  no  further  fee  being  required;  the  entrance  fee  al- 
ready paid  to  be  the  property  of  the  company. 

"The  great  sums  disbursed  by  Mr.  Harvey  had  fur- 
nished many  poor  men  with  means  for  becoming  mem- 
bers of  the  colony;  and  farther  east  the  hardships  of  the 
times  induced  many  others  to  join  it;  and  no  sooner  was 
Mr.  Harvey's  scheme  made  known  than  numerous  appli- 


206  John  Harvey 

cations  for  membership  were  received  by  his  Bureau  of 
Immigration. 

"By  February  ist,  1907,  the  number  necessary  to 
people  the  eight  million  acres,  on  the  scale  which  Mr. 
Harvey  at  first  adopted  of  receiving  one  family,  or  one 
unmarried  man,  for  each  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
land,  had  been  accepted;  and  by  April  ist  of  that  year 
fifty  thousand  persons  had  paid  their  entrance  fees,  and 
been  located  in  villages,  and  were  prepared  to  engage  in 
agricultural  and  other  pursuits. 

"Of  these,  about  twenty  thousand  were  men  of  fam- 
ily and  represented  probably  eighty  thousand  persons. 
The  remaining  thirty  thousand  were  unmarried  men,  who 
generally  boarded  and  lodged  with  the  families. ,r 

In  order  to  avoid  the  repetition  in  the  manuscript, 
I  will  simply  state  that  this  scheme  of  colonization  was 
eminently  successful,  and  was  carried  out  by  Mr.  Harvey 
on  all  the  lands  under  his  canal  until  the  time  when  he 
made  the  complete  change  in  the  manner  of  holding  title 
to  them. 

It  may  be  well,  also,  to  add  that  the  work  of  building- 
railroads,  laterals,  villages  and  additional  houses  was  con- 
tinued by  him  without  cessation  until  that  time. 

The  colonists  generally  worked  well,  and  were  con- 
tented and  happy.  Some  who  were  lazy  and  indolent,  and 
some  who  were  vicious,  were  refused  a  renewal  of  lease, 
and  quite  a  number  of  these  made  claims  against  the  com- 
pany for  a  return  of  their  entrance  fees,  and  for  damages, 
but  in  no  case  were  these  claims  allowed. 

"In  April,  1907,  the  canal  had  been  completed  a  little 
beyond  Reservoir  2;  the  wall  of  rock  two  hundred  feet 
thick  at  its  head  had  been  removed;  and  the  water  was 
now  surging  against  the  head  gates. 

"The  20th  day  of  April  had  been  set  as  the  time  for 


The  Manuscript  207 

opening  the  latter,  and  permitting  the  water  to  flow 
through  the  canal  into  the  reservoirs,  so  that  it  could  be 
available  for  the  irrigation  of  the  land  already  settled. 

"On  that  day  a  large  concourse  of  personages,  engi- 
neers, statisticians,  electricians  and  eminent  public  men, 
proceeded  by  special  train  to  the  head  of  the  canal  to  view 
the  new,  strange,  and  unexampled  spectacle  of  the  turn- 
ing at  once  of  a  mighty  river  into  an  untried  channel. 

"Sublime  confidence  in  the  perfection  of  work  was 
never  more  fully  displayed  than  by  Mr.  Harvey  and  his 
engineers  on  that  day. 

"Orders  had  been  given  to  the  electricians  and  others 
to  be  ready  at  ten  o'clock  a.  m.,  to  raise  all  the  head  gates 
simultaneously  to  a  height  of  two  feet,  and  to  increase 
that  height  as  directed. 

"Competent  men  were  stationed  at  intervals  of  three 
miles  to  ride  that  distance  as  the  current  proceeded,  and 
to  watch  the  movement  of  the  water,  and  report  the  same 
by  telephone  to  the  little  station  at  the  head  gate. 

"As  the  hour  approached,  expectancy  attained  al- 
most breathless  interest  among  those  assembled  there. 

"Shortly  before  10  o'clock,  the  waste  ways,  three 
miles  farther  down  the  canal  were  opened,  that  the  first 
volume  of  the  water  might  pass  through  them. 

"Promptly  at  the  moment,  with  the  solemn  invoca- 
tion, 'In  the  Name  of  God,'  the  chief  electrician  touched 
his  button,  and  the  ponderous  robur  head  gates,  ten  in 
number,  each  weighing  over  one  hundred  tons,  rose  slow- 
ly in  their  grooved  channels  to  the  prescribed  distance. 
and  a  mighty  current  of  clear,  pure  water,  six  hundred 
feet  wide,  swept  under  them  and  down  the  rocky  bed  of 
the  canal  at  a  velocity  of  fully  eight  miles  per  hour;  pick- 
ing up  the  debris  of  rocks,  sand,  wood  and  even  spikes 


208  John  Harvey 

and  iron  bars,  and  carrying  it  all  rapidly  toward  the  waste 
ways. 

"Thirty  minutes  later,  the  water  was  reported  to  be 
pouring  over  them  and  again  into  the  river  by  the  channel 
cut  for  it.  For  half  an  hour  it  was  allowed  thus  to  spend 
its  strength,  and  then  the  secondary  head  gates  were  rais- 
ed, those  of  the  waste  ways  shut,  and  the  flood  passed 
down  the  gradually  widening  canal  bed. 

"Until  12  o'clock  the  engineers  and  spectators 
watched  the  passage  of  the  water  through  the  head  gates, 
receiving  constant  dispatches  as  to  its  progress  and  the 
condition  of  the  canal,  all  of  which  were  very  satisfac- 
tory. 

"At  that  hour  the  head  gates  were  opened  to  a  height 
of  four  feet,  and  the  advance  of  the  stream  being  reported 
over  twelve  miles  distant,  the  spectators  boarded  the 
train  to  follow  it.  At  2  p.  m.  the  party  overtook  the  ad- 
vance of  the  water,  then  at  a  distance  of  twenty  mil-is 
from  the  head  of  the  canal. 

"It  was  moving  satisfactorily  five  miles  per  hour;  and 
after  keeping  pace  with  it  till  4  p.  m.,  the  party  went  on  to 
Reservoir  No.  1,  where  accommodations  for  the  night 
had  been  prepared. 

"By  4  o'clock  next  morning  the  water  was  rapidly 
pouring  into  this  reservoir,  and  orders  were  given  to  raise 
the  head  gates  gradually  to  a  height  of  eight  feet,  and  this 
was  in  the  succeeding  week  increased  to  twelve  feet;  the 
water  flowing  at  this  height  at  a  rate  of  about  six  miles 
per  hour. 

"By  the  20th  of  May,  Reservoir  No.  1  was  filled  and 
the  water  was  then  sent  on  down  the  channel  of  the  canal 
to  Reservoir  No.  2,  which  was  filled  by  June  10th,  and 
very  shortly  after,  water  was  running  in  all  the  laterals 
and  sublaterals  dependent  on  these  two  reservoirs. 


The  Manuscript  209 

"By  the  1st  of  January,  1908,  the  main  canal  had 
been  completed  a  distance  of  sixty  miles  farther  and  was 
now  nearing  the  valley  of  the  North  Platte  River.  For 
the  last  ten  miles  of  its  course,  however,  it  had  only  been 
six  hundred  feet  wide,  the  great  lateral  A  running  east- 
ward, three  hundred  feet  wide  at  its  head,  having  been 
taken  out  of  it,  and  with  a  large  part  of  its  sublaterals 
fully  finished. 

"A  great  reservoir,  No.  3,  one  of  the  largest  on  the 
entire  route,  with  its  system  of  conduits,  was  also  finished 
and  water  was  flowing  into  it.  This  reservoir,  it  will  be 
remembered,  was  estimated  to  be  capable  of  watering  six 
million  acres  of  the  arid  land  between  the  Niobrara  and 
the  Platte  Rivers;  the  remaining  fourteen  million  acres 
being  watered  from  the  lateral  A.  The  capacity  of  the 
reservoir  and  lateral  was  found  to  be  sufficient  for  this 
purpose,  and  the  construction  of  about  one  hundred  vil- 
lages on  this  twenty  million  acres  had  been  begun,  and 
the  land  thrown  open  for  settlement. 

"The  aqueducts  across  the  North  and  South  Platte 
Rivers  were  also  in  course  of  completion. 

"The  expenses  of  construction  this  year  had  been 
enormous,  reaching  a  sum  of  over  one  hundred  and  fifty 
million  dollars.  Mr.  Harvey's  share  of  the  crop  of  1907, 
amounting  to  thirty  million  dollars,  was  held  by  him  for 
seeding  purposes  and  for  the  supply  of  the  settlers  al- 
ready peopling  the  twenty  million  acres  now  ready  for 
occupation. 

"By  April  1st,  1908,  one  hundred  thousand  families 
and  unmarried  men  occupied  these  lands,  and  from  their 
entrance  fees  thirty  million  dollars  was  obtained  to  help 
meet  the  expenditures  of  the  year. 

"The  total  cost  of  the  canal,  and  the  system  of  irriga- 
tion attending  it,  was  so  far  about  one  hundred  and  ninety 


2io  Jo  Jin  Harvey 

million  dollars.  This  sum,  especially  when  the  cost  of 
the  land  itself  and  numerous  other  items  are  added  to  it, 
seems  enormous. 

"Mr.  Harvey  had,  however,  remaining  in  his  coffers, 
at  the  date  above  mentioned,  forty  million  dollars,  and  in 
his  storehouses  supplies  sufficient  to  meet  all  demands 
upon  him. 

"During  the  year  1908  work  was  continued  with 
great  activity  on  the  canal ;  the  aqueduct  across  the  North 
Platte,  and  Reservoirs  Nos.  4,  5,  6,  7  and  8  were  com- 
pleted by  the  1st  of  June,  and  a  month  later  the  aqueduct 
across  the  South  Platte  River  was  finished. 

"The  construction  was  pushed  rapidly  southward, 
and  by  the  end  of  this  year  the  summit  of  the  divide  be- 
tween the  Platte  and  the  Arkansas  Rivers  was  reached, 
being  a  distance  of  two  hundred  and  five  miles  from 
where  the  work  was  taken  up  at  the  beginning  of  the 
year,  and  a  total  distance  of  four  hundred  and  forty  miles 
from  the  mouth  of  the  canal. 

"At  this  point,  lateral  B,  three  hundred  feet  wide 
at  its  mouth,  was  begun  and  carried  along  the  divide 
about  two  hundred  miles  eastward. 

"A  double-track  railway  from  Reservoir  No.  9  to  the 
Arkansas,  and  another  following  the  course  of  this  lat- 
eral, and  the  permanent  crossings  over  the  North  and 
South  Platte  Rivers,  had  also  been  completed. 

"All  the  land  lying  between  these  two  rivers,  being 
four  million  acres,  and  all  that  lying  under  lateral  "B," 
as  far  as  constructed,  amounting  to  about  fifteen  million 
acres,  was  thrown  open  for  settlement  and  ready  for 
occupancy  by  January  1st,  1909. 

"About  one  hundred  and  thirty  thousand  heads  of 
families  and  unmarried  men,  representing  over  two  hun- 
dred and  seventy-five  thousand  persons,  settled  on  these 


The  Manuscript  211 

lands;  their  fees  for  entrance  amounting  to  about  forty 
million  dollars.  The  one-half  of  the  crop  of  1908  belong- 
ing to  Mr.  Harvey,  part  of  which  was  sold  and  the  balance 
retained  for  seed  and  for  supplying  the  wants  of  the  new- 
ly-arrived colonists,  amounted  in  value  to  ninety  mifliGn 
dollars. 

"The  expenses  of  the  year,  although  not  so  great  as 
those  of  the  preceding  one,  had  been  fully  one  hundred 
million  dollars,  and  Mr.  Harvey  found  about  the  same 
sum  remaining  in  his  coffers  as  at  the  beginning  of  1908. 

"During  the  year  1909  the  line  of  railway  was  pushed 
rapidly  southward  toward  Corpus  Christi ;  and  the  traffic 
on  the  main  line  through  the  country  already  settled  be- 
ing too  great  for  the  road,  another  trunk  line  was  con- 
structed from  a  point  on  the  Platte  River  near  the  Mis- 
souri, thence  following  the  former  stream  and  the  South 
Platte  westerly  to  the  crossing  of  the  railroad  bridge  over 
the  latter,  and  thence  along  the  eastern  bank  of  the  canal 
to  Reservoir  No.  9. 

"Near  this  reservoir  great  warehouses  were  built  in 
what  is  now  a  suburb  of  the  city  of  Neuropolis,  and  plans 
were  made  for  the  building  of  the  city  itself. 

"The  canal  was  continued  southward  as  contem- 
plated in  the  report  of  the  engineers  through  Reservoir 
No.  10,  and  terminated  in  Reservoir  No.  11,  and  the  great 
lateral  "B"  was  completed. 

"The  remainder  of  the  land,  that  lying  between  lat- 
eral "B"  and  the  Arkansas  River,  amounting  to  nearly 
fourteen  million  acres,  was  ready  for  occupancy,  and  was 
leased  by  January  1st,  1910. 

"The  expenses  of  Mr.  Harvey  in  1909  were  heavy, 
amounting  to  over  one  hundred  million  dollars;  but  his 
revenues  were  large. 

"From  colonists'  fees  he  received  nearly  eighteen 


212  John  Harvey 

million  dollars,  and  from  sales  of  his  half  the  crop  of  1909 
about  sixty  million  dollars  more.  At  the  end  of  that  year 
Mr.  Harvey  had  a  balance  of  fully  forty  million  dollars  in 
his  coffers;  and  if  the  crop  of  1910  proved  to  be  good  his 
income  from  his  share  of  it,  and  from  his  mines,  could 
hardly  be  less  than  two  hundred  million  dollars. 

"There  were  now  more  than  one  million  inhabitants 
in  the  irrigated  portion  of  the  arid  region  purchased  by 
Mr.  Harvey,  living  in  peace,  comfort  and  contentment ; 
and  the  permanency  of  the  enterprise  was  assured. 

"From  the  very  beginning  of  his  colonization  opera- 
tions, Mr.  Harvey  had  the  founding  of  the  Nationality  in 
view,  and,  in  fact,  then  communicated  his  purpose  to  a 
few  of  his  most  trusted  assistants. 

"In  January,  19 10,  he  submitted  to  the  district  offi- 
cers a  plan  for  changing  the  colony  into  the  Nationality." 

This  plan  contemplated: 

First — The  formal  adoption  by  the  new  government 
of  the  general  principles  hereinbefore  stated  as  given  me 
by  Mr.  Beyresen. 

Second — The  equitable  abolition  of  money  as  a  me- 
dium of  exchange  among  its  citizens,  and  certain  regula- 
tions in  regard  to  the  election,  qualifications,  authority 
and  duties  of  its  officers. 

Third — Definite  rules  and  regulations  in  regard  to 
citizenship. 

Fourth — The  building  of  a  great  and  beautiful  city 
as  a  capital,  where  those  desiring  a  liberal  education  could 
obtain  it,  and  where  those  past  the  years  of  labor  could 
live  if  they  so  wished. 

Fifth — The  sale  by  Mr.  Harvey  to  the  Nationality 
of  the  fifty-seven  millions  acres  of  land  now  owned  by 
him,  and  the  canals,  railroads,  villages  and  other  im- 
provements upon  them. 


The  Manuscript  213 

"In  reference  to  item  third,  concerning  citizenship, 
Air.  Harvey's  plan  contemplated  that  at  the  time  of  its 
adoption  all  the  members  of  the  colony  who  would  con- 
form to  the  principles  of  the  Nationality  should  at  once 
become  citizens  thereof,  and  their  children  also  as  they 
arrived  at  proper  age. 

"In  regard  to  the  admission  of  other  persons  it  pre- 
scribed the  following  general  rules:  That  no  person  shall 
become  a  citizen  unless  he  takes  up  residence  within  the 
Nationality,  or  is  a  citizen  of  some  state  of  the  Union  a 
majority  of  whose  people  seek  admission,  or  already  be- 
long to  that  body. 

"That  no  person  except  as  immediately  hereinafter 
provided  shall  become  a  citizen  of  the  Nationality  unless 
he,  and  his  family  if  he  have  one,  conform  to  rules  Nos. 
i,  2,  3  and  4,  prescribed  originally  for  the  admission  of 
tenants,  and  unless  he  owns  land,  or  its  equivalent  in 
other  desirable  property,  to  the  value  of  sixteen  hundred 
dollars,  which  said  land  and  all  other  property  owned  by 
said  person,  or  his  family,  shall  be  conveyed  to  the  Na- 
tionality. 

"That  whenever  any  large  body  of  persons,  compris- 
ing a  majority  of  the  citizens  of  any  state  of  the  Union, 
shall  through  the  legislatures  of  their  states,  or  by  peti- 
tion, seek  admission  to  citizenship  in  the  Nationality, 
they  may  be  admitted  upon  such  terms  and  conditions 
in  regard  to  qualifications  and  possession  of  property  as 
may  be  determined  by  a  two-third  vote  of  the  parliament 
of  the  Nationality.  Provided,  however,  that  the  ques- 
tion of  their  admission  on  such  terms  and  conditions  be 
first  submitted  to  a  vote  and  be  approved  by  a  majority 
of  the  then  existing  citizens  of  the  Nationality. 

"In  regard  to  the  fourth  item,  Mr.  Harvey  desired 
that  the  site  he  had  already  chosen,  and  the  plans  he  had 


214  fohn  Harvey 

prepared  for  the  building  of  the  city  should  be  accepted, 
and  also  that  the  new  government  should,  for  the  period 
of  five  years  after  its  organization,  set  apart  from  its  reve- 
nues one  hundred  million  dollars  annually,  and  he  him- 
self would  contribute  fifty  million  dollars  annually,  to  be 
expended  in  carrying  out  these  plans. 

"In  regard  to  the  fifth  item,  upon  the  acceptance  of 
his  propositions,  and  the  organization  of  the  Nationality 
in  acordance  therewith,  he  agreed  to  sell  to  that  body  all 
the  fifty-seven  million  acres  of  land  within  its  limits,  and 
all  property  thereon,  for  the  sum  of  one  billion  dollars, 
to  be  paid  in  five  equal,  annual  installments,  without  in- 
terest, the  first  to  be  made  one  year  after  the  completion 
of  the  organization.  He  reserved,  however,  the  right  to 
extend  the  canal  and  use  the  same,  in  manner  as  origin- 
ally contemplated,  for  carrying  water  for  the  irrigation 
of  the  other  lands  remaining  to  him,  and  also  the  right 
to  sit  in  parliament,  in  person  or  by  proxy,  and  vote  as 
any  other  member  during  the  term  of  his  natural  life,  to 
be  notified  of  all  its  meetings,  and  to  have  power  to  cast 
five-twelfths  of  the  votes  of  that  body  for  the  period  of 
ten  years  after  the  organization  of  the  Nationality. 

"Mr.  Harvey  requested  the  district  officers  to  sub- 
mit this  plan  of  organization  to  the  colonists  for  their  ac- 
tion before  the  time  of  the  annual  renting  of  the  lands, 
and,  leaving  the  matter  in  their  care,  sailed  for  Europe 
in  January,  1910. 

"His  propositions  were  formally  accepted  by  the 
colonists  very  soon  after,  and  were  ratified  by  Air.  Harvey 
by  cablegram,  and  the  colony  was  thus  merged  into  the 
Nationality. 

"In  June,  1910,  Air.  Harvey  married  a  sister  of  King 
Alphonso  of  Spain,  a  lady  whose  beauty  and  accomplish- 
ments   were    known    and    acknowledged    throughout 


The  Manuscript  215 

Europe,  and  with  whom  he  had  become  acquainted  on  a 
previous  visit. 

"In  September  of  the  same  year  he  returned  to  Amer- 
ica with  his  wife,  and  they  resided  in  his  own  home  in 
Bilboa,  where  in  October  of  the  succeeding  year  she  gave 
birth  to  a  child. 

"In  the  fall  of  1914,  owing  to  failing  health,  she  re- 
turned to  Spain,  Mr.  Harvey  visiting  her  very  frequently, 
and  being  there  at  the  time  of  her  death,  which  took  place 

in  1917. 

"During  these  years  Mr.  Harvey  had  been  busily  en- 
gaged in  extending  the  great  canal  to  water  the  lands  he 
had  remaining,  and  settling  colonies  upon  them  on  the 
same  principles  as  those  adopted  by  tihe  Nationality,  with 
a  view  to  an  ultimate  union  with  it. 

"In  the  year  1917  the  states  of  Nebraska  and  South 
Dakota,  by  formal  action  of  their  legislatures  and  at  the 
earnest  desire  of  their  people,  applied  for  admission  and 
were  received  into  the  Nationality,  retaining  only  enough 
of  the  semblance  of  their  former  government  to  enable 
them  to  maintain  their  position  as  independent  states 
of  the  Union,  and  in  1918  the  states  of  New  Mexico,  Kan- 
sas and  Colorado,  in  all  of  which  there  had  been  a  fierce 
fight  made  against  the  proposition,  did  the  same.  The 
history  of  this  movement  is  interesting. 

"The  process  was  one  of  gradual  accretion  to  the 
Nationality  at  the  expense  of  the  state  governments,  from 
the  inception  of  the  former  to  the  end  of  the  latter.  In- 
dividual by  individual  county  by  county,  joined  that 
body,  until  in  self-protection  those  left  clamored  for  the 
change. 

"In  1919  the  state  of  Arizona,  in  which  another  sys- 
tem of  irrigation  existed,  and  the  states  of  Utah  and 
Wyoming  were  received  into  the  Nationality.     None  of 


216  John  Harvey 

them  have  ever  regretted  the  change;  all  of  them  have 
prospered  beyond  comparison  with  any  former  period. 

"The  capital  city  of  this  entire  region  remained  at 
Neuropolis,  which  in  1919  was  already  a  beautiful  and 
favored  city. 

"Great  public  buildings  had  been  erected,  and  habi- 
tations and  other  structures  were  constantly  added  as 
they  were  required  by  the  rapidly  increasing  population. 

"In  other  portions  of  the  land  the  same  work  was 
carried  on,  for  new  houses  were  continually  needed,  espe- 
cially in  the  older  and  more  thoroughly  cultivated  re- 
gions. 

"In  191 7  the  nature  of  the  mines  at  Bilboa  began  to 
change.  The  quantity  of  gold  and  of  the  two  strange 
metals  diminishing,  a  superior  quality  of  iron  ore  taking 
their  places. 

"Mr.  Harvey  had  never  parted  with  any  of  the  black 
metal,  and  but  little  of  the  robur  had  left  the  Nationality. 
In  1919  the  output  of  gold  and  these  two  metals  ceased 
entirely,  and  thereafter  the  mines  produced  iron  only. 

"Mr.  Harvey,  despite  lhis  great  expenditures,  was 
yet  possessed  of  enormous  wealth.  His  vaults  contained 
millions,  which  were  now  constantly  increasing. 

"These  riches,  however,  he  declared  it  to  be  his  in- 
tention to  leave,  with  all  his  other  possessions,  to  the  Na- 
tionality, or  for  its  use,  his  only  thought,  especially  since 
the  death  of  his  wife,  being  for  its  extension  and  success. 

"In  the  year  1925,  satisfied  that  its  affairs  were  in 
wise  hands  and  that  its  permanency  was  assured,  Mr. 
Harvey  determined  to  carry  out  his  intention  of  bestow- 
ing  upon  it  all  his  landed  possessions,  and  of  spending 
some  years  abroad  visiting  other  countries,  and  studying 
mankind  and  its  condition  throughout  the  globe. 

"For  this  latter  purpose  he  began  the  building  of  a 


The  Manuscript  217 

vessel,  which  should  be  at  once  a  means  of  conveyance 
and  a  home  for  himself  and  his  friends.  It  was  unique 
in  character  and  construction,  and  was  built,  adorned 
and  furnished  without  regard  to  cost.  It  was  not  of  great 
size,  being  only  calculated  to  carry  forty  passengers,  but 
it  was  undoubtedly  the  most  elegant,  graceful  and  beauti- 
ful, and  at  the  same  time  the  strongest  and  most  power- 
ful vessel  ever  put  afloat. 

"Its  method  of  propulsion,  and  many  of  its  peculiari- 
ties, were  kept  secret.  It  was  generally  understood,  how- 
ever, that  its  motive  power  was  electricity,  generated  in 
the  ordinary  way,  but  augmented  many-fold  by  the  action 
of  the  sea  water  on  thousands  of  wires  which  surrounded 
and  were  inlaid  in  the  hull  of  the  vessel  below  its  water 
line,  forming  an  immense  magnet  from  whose  ends  the 
current  was  taken  up,  and  used,  or  stored,  as  required. 

"The  vessel  was  constructed  of  robur,  or  white 
metal,  its  plates  being  cast  at  Bilboa  and  put  together,  or 
rather  welded  together  by  electricity  at  the  dock  yards 
in  Corpus  Christi,  where  it  was  launched  in  the  spring  of 
1927. 

"She  made  a  final  trial  trip  in  tfhe  adjoining  waters 
in  April,  1928,  and  in  May  of  that  year  John  Harvey  and 
his  friends  embarked  on  her,  bound  for  Europe  and  other 
portions  of  the  globe. 

"Before  his  departure  Mr.  Harvey  conveyed  all  his 
landed  and  other  estate  to  the  Nationality,  reserving  only 
his  cash  in  hand  and  the  two  metals  he  had  so  strangely 
discovered.  The  former  and  the  black  metal  he  deposited 
for  safe-keeping  in  the  vaults  of  the  Nationality  in  Neu- 
ropolis,  but  the  robur  was  kept  in  great  storehouses  at 
Bilboa. 

"He  left  all  these  treasures  in  the  care  of  friends, 
who  also  had  in  their  custody  a  will  made  in  case  of  acci- 


218  John  Harvey 

dent,  and  who  were  instructed  to  forward  to  him  such 
sums  as  he  might  require  in  foreign  lands,  though  it  was 
generally  supposed  that  he  took  with  him  on  his  vessel  a 
very  large  amount  in  gold." 

Thus  ended  the  manuscript,  rather  abruptly  it  must 
be  confessed.  Its  perusal  had  given  me  a  different  idea 
of  the  character  of  John  Harvey.  If  it  were  a  true  his- 
tory, and  I  had  no  doubt  of  it,  then  he  was  really  one 
of  the  world's  great  men ;  one  of  its  heroes  and  benefac- 
tors, possessed  of  comprehensive  intellect,  wonderful  sa- 
gacity and  the  most  earnest  philanthropy. 

He  had  used  these  great  gifts  for  the  founding  of 
a  common  wealth  on  principles  of  true  brotherhood,  and 
had  done  more  than  any  other  mere  man  to  rescue  hu- 
manity from  the  mercenary  spirit  and  degradation  which 
has  possessed  it  in  all  ages. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE     BOAT     RIDE. 

It  was  about  4  o'clock  of  a  beautiful  September  after- 
noon when  I  reached  Mr.  Beyresen's  to  take  Miss  Clo- 
thilde  for  the  boat  ride.  She  was  dressed  simply,  but  from 
the  coiffure  of  her  hair  to  the  very  tip  of  her  small  shoe 
everything  about  her  was  in  the  most  perfect  taste.  Her 
face  wore  an  expression  of  unusual  thoughtfulness,  but 
when  she  saw  some  flowers  I  had  brought  this  gave  way 
to  a  look  of  pleased  animation. 

"You  and  I,"  she  said,  "owe  our  acquaintance  to  a 
bunch  of  flowers." 

"I  hope,"  I  rejoined,  "to  nothing  so  trivial.  I  like  to 
believe  that  it  was  something  far  higher,  that  it  was 
indeed  predetermined." 

"Perhaps  it  was  due  to  Papa  Beyresen,"  she  returned. 

"No,"  I  answered,  "he  had  no  idea  of  the  favor  he 
was  doing  me  when  he  invited  me  to  his  house;  nor  had 
I,  for  that  matter,  for  I  did  not  expect  to  meet  you  there. 
I  did  expect  to  meet  you  somewhere." 

"Since  when?"  she  asked. 

"From  the  time  I  first  saw  you,"  I  said,  "since  the 
evening  of  the  opera." 

"It  would  have  been  rather  strange,"  she  replied 
hurriedly,  "if  two  persons  like  you  and  me  had  lived  so 
long  in  this  city,  and  had  not  met.  Let  us  accept  re- 
sults, which  to-day  are  very  pleasant,  and  stop  imagining 
causes.  I  think  we  shall  have  a  pleasant  time,  for  the 
party  is  made  up  of  congenial  spirits.  You  have  met 
nearly  all  of  them,  I  think,  Mr.  Maxwell." 

219 


220  John  Harvey 

"And  yet,"  I  answered,  "I  cannot  be  said  to  know 
them  as  you  and  they  know  each  other.  I  am  the  stran- 
ger, but  I  can  enjoy  the  getting  acquainted.  So  I  have 
a  pleasure  all  my  own." 

"Do  you  feel  like  a  stranger  among  us,  Mr.  Max- 
well?" she  inquired. 

"Not  often,"  I  replied,  "not  as  I  have  in  many  other 
parts  of  the  world  I  have  visited,  and  not  nearly  as  much 
as  I  supposed  I  should.  I  have  never  felt  so  with  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Beyresen,  nor  with  you,  Miss  Clothilde.  It  may 
appear  odd,  but  it  seemed  the  first  time  I  saw  you  as  if 
we  had  met  before,  possibly  in  some  previous  existence." 

"Probably  you  were  reminded  of  some  other  per- 
son by  some  accidental  resemblance.  Such  things  often 
happen,"  she  said. 

"They  do,"  I  replied,  "but  I  cannot  fix  it  in  your  case. 
I  have  tried,  but  it  seems  impossible." 

"You  may  recall  it  hereafter,"  she  returned,  "or  you 
may  lose  the  feeling.  I  have  had  such  hallucinations  my- 
self, and  I  am  not  prone  to  fancies.  I  hear  you  are  going 
East; might  I  ask  how  soon?" 

"In  a  very  few  weeks,"  I  answered.  "I  want  to 
know  more  of  the  condition  of  your  Eastern  people." 

"You  may  learn  something  of  that  from  Mrs.  Hamil- 
ton; she  is  pretty  well  acquainted  with  their  situation,  and 
was  giving  me  a  rather  doleful  account  of  it  lately.  If 
you  go  East,  however,  you  can  judge  much  better.  Do 
you  intend  writing  a  book  when  you  return  to  England, 
Mr.  Maxwell?"  she  inquired  demurely. 

"I  have  more  material  than  many  who  do,"  I  an- 
swered mischievously. 

"Much  of  which  you  could  not  use,"  she  replied, 
scrutinizing  me  narrowly. 

"That  is  my  present  feeling  about  it,"  I  returned. 


The  Boat  Ride  221 

"One  cannot  tell  what  one  will  think  some  years  hence. 
I  could  write  some  stirring  chapters,  entitling  them,  'The 
Princess/  for  instance." 

"I  am  not  afraid  of  your  doing  that,  without  permis- 
sion," she  said  after  a  moment's  pause. 

"Well,"  I  answered,  "I  do  hope  your  highness  will 
remember  this  evening  that  some  attention  is  due  to  in- 
cipient authors." 

"I  will  look  after  you,  Mr.  Maxwell,"  she  returned. 
"I  may  meet  you  in  a  third  state  of  existence,  you  know, 
and  then  it  would  be  pleasant  to  recall  kindnesses  be- 
stowed in  this." 

"Thank  you,"  I  replied.  "I  bespeak  remembrance  in 
all  stages." 

It  was  after  5  o'clock  when  we  started  down  the  lake. 
A  gentle  breeze  filled  the  sails,  and  for  some  time  wre  all 
sat  near  the  bow  watching  the  panorama  before  us. 

The  lake  was  about  ten  miles  long  by  four  or  five 
broad,  and  its  waters  were  clear  and  pure. 

Its  southern  shore  was  covered  with  a  forest  of  well- 
grown  trees  and  its  western  banks  nearest  the  city  were 
occupied  by  gardens  and  orchards,  and  all  the  agricul- 
tural life  concomitant  to  its  proximity  to  the  capital.  A 
large  township  village  stood  about  midway  of  the  north- 
ern boundary,  along  which  hurrying  trains  were  seen 
passing  back  and  forth;  busy  messengers  between  the 
country  and  the  great  city,  whose  imposing  public  build- 
ings were  massed  spectrally  above  the  sea  of  green  which 
swept  around  the  peaceful  homes  of  its  citizens. 

Beyond,  still  farther  to  the  west,  towered  the  colos- 
sal peaks  of  the  continental  range,  whose  great  snow 
fields,  lifted  to  the  sky,  etherealized  their  summits,  and 
crowned  them  kings  and  princes  of  the  land. 

"This,"  said  Mrs.  Hamilton,  "is  as  fair  a  scene  as  I 


222  John  Harvey 

ever  looked  upon.  Yon  jewel  of  a  city  has  a  perfect  set- 
ting, in  a  bed  of  emerald,  beneath  a  vault  of  the  purest 
turquoise.  You  people  of  Neuropolis  should  be  content; 
you  live  in  one  of  the  fairest  and  most  delightful  spots  in 
the  world." 

"We  are  content,"  said  Mr.  Herbert  Jones,  "as  those 
who  have  made  a  good  day's  journey;  but  not  satisfied 
as  those  who  have  reached  its  end.  We  are  progressing, 
I  think,  rationally,  Mrs.  Hamilton." 

"Ah,"  said  she,  "ideas  about  progression  are  so  de- 
ceptive. We,  in  the  Easterr  states,  thought  we  had  made 
much  progress,  but  now  it  seems  as  though  we  had  been 
deluded.  There  is  to-day  more  uncertainty,  inquietude, 
and  far  more  suffering  among  our  people  than  ever  be- 
fore. We  have  constant  agitation,  distrust,  and  much 
bitterness  between  classes." 

"Bitter  feelings  are  to  be  deplored,"  said  Mr.  Jones, 
"but  the  agitation  is  a  hopeful  sign.  It  shows  that  stag- 
nation has  not  overtaken  you ;  that  the  spirit  has  not  been 
crushed  out  of  your  people ;  that  you  may  yet  find  the  road 
to  true  progress." 

"What  is  true  progress,  Mr.  Jones?"  inquired  Mrs. 
Hamilton. 

"Many  answers  have  been  given  to  that  question," 
replied  he.  "Pride  has  induced  nearly  every  nation  to 
put  forward  some  special  trait,  or  achievement,  as  evi- 
dence of  its  superiority." 

"Yes,"  said  Mrs.  Hamilton,  "we  Eastern  people  used 
to  boast  of  our  enterprise  and  wealth  as  sure  signs  of 
our  progress,  but  it  is  pretty  well  understood  now  that 
such  indications  are  fallacious." 

"They  always  will  be,"  responded  Air.  Jones.  "True 
national  progress  must  be  evidenced  by  far  loftier  attain- 
ments than  those  you  mention." 


The  Boat  Ride  223 

"If  you  will  give  us  your  idea  of  what  such  progress 
is,  Mr.  Jones,  we  shall  be  much  obliged,"  said  Miss  Clo- 
thilde. 

"I  should  say  it  consists  in  increasing  enlightenment 
of  the  national  conscience,  broadening  reasoning  powers, 
and  sturdy  physical  development  among  the  citizens ;  all 
in  active  operation  in  the  affairs  of  the  nation,  the  first 
shaping  its  course  in  accordance  with  strict  rules  of  nat- 
ural justice  and  right,  the  second  planning  and  directing 
wisely  and  successfully,  and  the  third  conferring  ability 
to  perform.  There  may  be  as  many  differences  and  de- 
grees in  these  attainments  among  the  people  of  the  na- 
tion, as  there  are  in  the  proficiencies  of  the  individual 
soldiers  comprising  an  army,  but  there  must  be  the  same 
unity  of  action,  the  same  spirit  of  self-sacrifice,  and  the 
same  esprit  de  corps.  A  people  so  governed  and  directed 
can  truthfully  be  called  great  in  national  character,  and 
if  the  qualities  I  have  mentioned  be  increasing,  are  on 
the  true  road  in  national  advancement." 

"But  how  can  we  ensure  this  result?  how  are  we  to 
acquire  these  high  qualities?"  interrogated  Airs.  Hamil- 
ton. 

"Ah"  said  he,  "that  has  been  the  problem  of  the 
ages,  always  confronting  mankind,  and  yet  until  modern 
times  but  dimly  recognized  by  them.  It  was  long,  Mrs. 
Hamilton,  in  the  history  of  the  race,  before  we  had  for- 
mulated this  problem  in  the  clear  and  unequivocal  terms 
in  which  you  and  I,  and  thousands  of  other  inquiring 
citizens,  have  it  before  us  to-day,  and  the  distinctness 
with  which  it  is  now  stated  augurs  everything  for  its 
speedy  solution.  I  low  can  we  best  develop  among  our 
people  an  enlightened  and  ever-growing  conscience  and 
reason,  that  shall  direct  and  guide  them  in  all  national 
and  private  affairs;  and  how  can  we  preserve  in  their 


224  John  Harvey 

highest  condition  those  independent,  manly,  physical 
powers  which  are  so  essential  to  the  well-being  of  the 
race?  What  has  the  state  done,  and  what  can  it  be  made 
to  do,  to  secure  these  results?  What  has  the  old  system 
of  civilization,  of  ownership,  of  distribution,  of  education 
accomplished,  and  what  can  be  hoped  from  it  in  the  fu- 
ture? What  incentives  does  it  offer,  and  what  opportuni- 
ties does  it  afford  for  the  cultivation  of  these  qualities? 
Such  are  the  questions  which  men  are  asking  now  with 
an  earnestness  born  of  a  conviction  that  governments 
and  systems,  and  motives  and  opportunity,  can  be  better 
arranged  to  ensure  the  true  happiness,  and  advancement, 
and  enfranchisement  .of  mankind." 

"But  how  would  you  answer  them;  vVhat  would  you 
do  to  develop  the  virtues  of  which  you  speak?"  asked 
Mrs.  Hamilton. 

"First  of  all,"  said  Mr.  Jones,  "I  would  employ  di- 
rect methods,  instead  of  the  indirect  ones  heretofore 
used.  The  ends  to  be  attained  must  be  acknowledged, 
and  governments  and  systems  of  civilization  must  be  or- 
ganized in  such  forms  and  on  such  principles  as  will  best 
and  quickest  secure  them.  Humanity  has  been  moving 
hitherto  like  a  bewildered  and  befogged  mob,  without 
purpose  or  proper  regulation;  it  must  now  be  officered 
and  disciplined  like  an  efficient  army  to  perform  a  defi- 
nite work. 

"Drill,  exertion,  exercise  of  any  faculty,  moral, 
mental,  or  physical,  are  the  most  potent  factors  in  its  de- 
velopment. How  can  growth  in  the  high  qualities  we 
have  spoken  of  be  promoted  by  a  system  of  government 
and  of  civilization  which  appeals  to  self-interest  as  its 
strongest  incentive,  and  permits  its  citizens,  actuated  by 
that  morbidly  developed  passion,  under  the  forms  of  law 
and  the  code  of  morals  it  has  adopted,  to  lie,  steal,  cheat, 


The  Boat  Ride  225 

enslave,  and  to  break  every  commandment  of  God,  and 
violate  every  moral  obligation  of  man  to  man? 

"The  teachings  of  the  Church  alone  have  tended  to 
cultivate  broad  principles  of  justice,  humanity  and  duty, 
and  her  influence  has  been  inestimable.  Like  the  gentle 
rain,  descending  from  the  same  source  whence  she  claims 
her  inspiration,  her  doctrines  have  permeated  the  earth, 
and  where  the  soil  was  good  have  brought  forth  fruits 
of  brotherly  kindness  and  charity  which  have  kept  the 
world  from  famine. 

"But  the  spirit  of  this  age  demands  a  government 
and  a  civilization  which,  instead  of  sowing  thorns  and 
thistles  in  that  soil,  shall  aid  in  mellowing  and  fertilizing 
it,  and  shall  assist  in  the  cultivation  of  such  fruitage." 

"You  would  not  have  the  Church  control  the  gov- 
ernment?" inquired  I. 

"By  no  means,"  answered  Mr.  Jones,  "but  I  would 
have  the  State  advance  to  a  'higher  plane,  upon  which 
I  think  it  can  now  safely  stand;  one  near  the  still  higher 
plane  occupied  by  the  Church.  I  would  have  it  modeled 
upon  and  ready  to  enforce  by  precept  and  example  those 
eternal  principles  of  justice  and  morality  which  are 
taught  by  the  Church.  I  would  so  organize  it  that  its 
appeal  should  be  made  largely  to  the  higher  and  nobler 
qualities  of  its  citizens;  that  so  it  would  exercise  and  de- 
velop those  qualities  among  them.  Its  concern  as  now 
would  be  chiefly  about  the  moral,  social  and  temporal 
condition  of  its  citizens,  the  Church  being  occupied  more 
exclusively  with  their  spiritual  necessities,  but  Church 
and  State  should  work  together  for  the  cause  of  human 
advancement  in  all  these  directions.  This  is  what  the 
founders  of  our  Nationality  have  tried  to  do,  with  such 
measure  of  success  as  we  all  have  seen,  and  in  further 
answering  your  question,  Mrs.  Hamilton,  I  can  do  no 


226  John  Harvey 

more  than  to  point  to  it  as  the  most  illustrious  example, 
now  existing,  of  a  civilization  organized  to  develop 
among  the  people  the  virtues  of  which  we  have  been 
speaking." 

"I  should  like  to  hear  from  Miss  Ashley,"  said  I,  "in 
regard  to  the  position  which  Church  and  State  should  oc- 
cupy in  these  matters." 

"I  would  not  call  it  Church,  but  Christianity,"  said 
she.  "I  agree  with  Mr.  Herbert  Jones  that  each  has  its 
sphere  in  which  it  should  work  unitedly  with  the  other 
for  the  purposes  he  has  defined.  These  spheres,  it  seems 
to  me.  should  be  separate  only  because  of  the  temporary 
inability  of  those  in  the  lower  to  live  up  to  the  standards 
of  the  higher.  They  should  be  like  classes  in  one  school, 
taught  by  the  same  great  master.  He  would  not  use 
one  set  of  principles  for  one  grade  of  his  pupils,  and 
others  contradictory  thereof  for  another. 

"The  great  commandment,  'Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord 
thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with 
all  thy  mind  and  with  all  thy  strength,'  and  'Thou  shalt 
love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself,'  to  my  mind  presents  the 
principles  on  which  the  State  should  be  organized  and  by 
which  both  Church  and  State  should  be  governed.  The 
recognition  and  practice  of  these  principles  among  the 
masses  are  the  signposts  by  which  I  discern  the  true  road 
to  national  advancement,  and  the  people's  progress  on  it." 

"Alas,"  said  Mrs.  Hamilton,  "judged  by  such  stand- 
ards I  fear  the  condition  of  the  people  in  our  Eastern 
states  would  be  considered  very  serious.  There  doesn't 
seem  to  be  much  growth  in  love  toward  one's  neighbor, 
the  love  seems  to  be  all  kept  for  one's  self.  We  exercise 
a  certain  kind  of  charity  toward  the  poor,  oftener,  how- 
ever, to  still  conscience  and  get  rid  of  unpleasant  impor- 
tunity than  to  obey  the  commandment.    We  punish  the 


The  Boat  Ride  .        227 

criminal  deterrently  without  much  considering  the 
causes  which  led  to  the  commission  of  the  offense.  We 
are,  I  fear,  far  from  the  progressive  road  which  has  been 
outlined  this  evening." 

"At  least,"  said  Clothilde,  "you  seem  to  recognize 
the  deficiencies  of  your  system  and  that  is  a  hopeful  con- 
dition." 

"I  do  not  think,"  replied  Mrs.  Hamilton,  "that  any 
considerable  portion  of  the  class  in  which  I  move  do  even 
that.  They  are  the  people  possessing  wealth,  and  living 
lives  of  luxury  and  ease,  and  the  condition  of  what  we 
call  the  lower  classes  is  seldom  brought  home  to  them  in 
its  real  character.  You  must  remember  that  not  many 
years  ago  I,  too,  was  an  inhabitant  of  your  land,  and 
therefore  observe  the  differences  between  it,  and  that 
where  I  now  dwell,  more  closely  than  those  born  and 
reared  there.  I  often  think  the  rich  really  try  to  ignore 
the  existence  of  these  evils  as  much  as  possible." 

"But,"  said  Clothilde,  "is  not  the  dominant  class 
among  you  aware  of  the  threatening  character  of  social 
conditions,  the  changes  liable  to  occur,  and  the  necessity 
of  directing  them  wisely?" 

"They  are,"  said  Mrs.  Hamilton,  "to  a  certain  ex- 
tent, but  they  seem  asleep  to  the  gravity  of  the  situation, 
and  unwilling  to  make  any  radical  change  which  would 
disturb  their  present  luxurious  slumbers.  The  really  in- 
telligent, the  leaders  among  us,  fully  appreciate  the  an- 
tagonisms which  your  people  and  your  system  have  so 
largely  aided  in  engendering,  but  instead  of  dispelling 
these  by  remedial  measures,  are  striving  to  unify  our  peo- 
ple in  opposition  to  you  and  your  principles.  It  is  needless 
to  say  that  I  have  no  sympathy  with  this  spirit." 

"If  it  ever  find  expression  in  force,"  said  Mr.  King, 
"it  will  be  met  most  determinedly.    The  roar  of  the  break- 


228  John  Harvey 

ers  on  the  Eastern  seaboard  in  a  wild  storm  would  be  a 
meet  comparison  to  the  mighty  surge  of  humanity  which 
will  occur  should  such  a  course  be  adopted.  Thank  God 
vie  are  awake,  and  thank  God,  the  masses  of  your  people 
are  not  entirely  deceived." 

"I  hope,  I  sincerely  hope,  for  the  sake  of  my  father, 
my  family,  my  friends  and  all  others,  that  this  trouble  will 
be  soon  and  amicably  settled,"  said  Mrs.  Hamilton. 

"I  hope  for  the  sake  of  humanity  that  it  may  be 
rightly  settled,"  said  Clothilde.  "It  may  cost  something, 
all  great  achievements  have,  as  Mr.  Jones  would  tell  you, 
but  I  have  no  fear  of  the  result  for  us  and  great  hope  of 
the  future  for  you.  Our  people  are  intelligent,  their  pa- 
triotism knows  no  bounds,  and  their  leaders  are  wise  and 
governed  by  no  mercenary  motives.  Do  I  exaggerate, 
Mr.  Maxwell?"  she  inquired,  turning  to  me. 

"I  think  not,"  I  answered.  "I  have  seen  something 
of  your  country,  and  I  would  like  to  say  one  word.  In 
the  homes  of  a  people  may  be  found  the  surest  index  of 
their  condition,  their  loyalty  and  their  future.  Impover- 
ish them  and  you  crush  manhood  and  womanhood,  and 
destroy  freedom  and  happiness  and  hope.  This  is  a  land 
of  cheerful  happy  homes,  and  a  people  who  are  not  slaves, 
but  sprung  from  a  free  ancestry.  Their  earnest  conscien- 
tiousness, their  manifest  intelligence,  their  strong  phy- 
sique and  free  movement  are  to  me  a  guarantee  of  their 
ability  to  protect  their  habitations,  their  families  and  their 
country." 

Our  conversation  was  brought  to  a  close  by  the  ap- 
pearance of  Miss  Erickson,  who  informed  us  that  while 
we  had  been  talking,  she  and  some  of  the  others  had  pre- 
pared lunch  in  what  they  called  the  dining-room,  being 
the  after  part  of  the  boat,  which  they  had  ingeniously  cur- 
tained off  with  a  sail 


The  Boat  Ride  ii<^ 

By  the  time  this  repast  was  over  we  had  reached  the 
eastern  limit  of  the  lake,  where  it  had  been  the  intention 
to  land,  but  as  it  was  now  after  7  o'clock,  and  several  of 
the  party  desired  a  moonlight  ride  in  some  of  the  smaller 
boats,  it  was  decided  to  return. 

Our  craft  was  therefore  put  about  and  we  started 
back,  skirting  the  southern  shores  of  the  lake,  tacking 
sometimes  into  the  increasing  shadows  of  the  forest, 
sometimes  into  the  bright  water  lit  up  by  the  slanting 
rays  of  the  fast  setting  sun. 

That  luminary  had  now  disappeared  below  the  west- 
ern mountains,  but  from  behind  them  wrought  a  miracle 
of  transient  glory. 

Great  banks  of  clouds,  riven  and  divided  and  of 
many  shapes,  formed  a  canvas  on  which  he  cast  a  wealth 
of  changing  coloring  never  seen  but  in  such  clear,  pure 
air,  and  in  such  high  altitudes  as  these.  The  clouds  lay 
motionless  and  extended  half  way  round  the  horizon, 
emblazoned  in  crimson,  gold,  and  green,  royal  in  purple, 
delicate  in  blue  and  gray  and  smoke,  every  tint  changing 
and  shifting  in  constant  variety  as  the  sun,  greatest  of 
painters,  with  his  myriad  pointed  brush,  filled  with  purest 
color,  limned  them  at  his  pleasure,  making  the  last  hours 
of  the  dying  day  glorious  by  his  art. 

In  various  moods  we  sat  and  watched  his  work,  while 
he  pictured  the  heavens  with  wonders  such  as  Revelation 
speaks  of  in  describing  the  celestial  city. 

When  we  reached  the  boat  house  from  which  we  had 
started,  his  light  had  faded,  only  its  faint  reflection  tinged 
the  western  sky,  and  the  soft  rays  of  the  silvery  moon, 
ascending  in  the  east,  shone  upon  the  waters. 

Mrs.  Hamilton,  Mr.  Jones,  and  several  of  the  others 
remained  upon  the  larger  boat  now  moored  to  the  land- 
ing, but  the  rest  of  us  made  haste  to  procure  smaller 


230  John  Harvey 

boats  in  which  to  spend  an  additional  hour  or  so  upon 
the  water. 

These  were  fitted  with  comfortable  seats,  and  shawls 
and  wraps  were  ready  at  hand.  Each  boat  carried  at  its 
masthead  an  electric  light  of  a  different  color  from  the 
others.  Miss  Clothilde  and  I  selected  one  constructed  of 
the  white  metal,  about  fifteen  feet  long  and  four  feet  wide, 
carrying  a  lateen  sail.  The  mast  was  festooned  with  ever- 
greens and  flowers,  among  which  I  recognized  some  of 
those  I  had  brought. 

"You  are  a  good  sailor,  I  presume,"  said  she,  falling 
back  somewhat  into  the  bantering  air  she  frequently 
adopted  with  me,  "and  you  can  take  the  helm  and  com- 
mand the  craft,  while  I  will  be  passenger.  You  can  set 
the  rudder  by  raising  the  tiller  and  dropping  it  into  that 
little  slot,  and  the  sail  will  not  give  us  much  trouble,  there 
being  so  little  wind.  Your  passenger  also  will  give  as 
little  trouble  as  possible,  and,  if  you  like,  will  favor  you 
from  time  to  time  with  such  serious  thoughts  on  life,  and 
reflections  and  moralizings  on  kindred  subjects,  as  occur 
to  her,  such  as  she  thinks  will  be  for  your  future  good." 

"If  my  passenger  will  be  kind  enough  to  take  a  seat 
beside  me  where  I  can  see  her  she  will  oblige  me  very 
much,"  I  returned. 

She  did  so  without  further  words  and  we  started, 
the  last  boat,  with  a  silver  light  at  our  masthead,  shining 
down  dimly  on  us  and  out  upon  the  water. 

The  others  were  fast  scattering,  but  the  moonlight 
irradiating  the  scene  made  the  white  hulls  and  sails  of 
the  little  flotilla  very  plainly  visible,  looking  like  great 
birds  with  snowy  plumage  flitting  over  the  water. 

.  I  spoke  of  this  to  Clothilde,  and  she  replied:  "I 
have  seen  such  a  sight  as  this  a  number  of  times,  but  I 
always  enjoy  it.     There  is  something  ethereal  about  it. 


The  Boat  Ride  23 i 

The  dancing,  unsubstantial  water,  the  shadowy  boats 
upon  it,  and  the  white  clouds  overhead,  through  which 
the  moon  seems  to  cleave  her  way  in  placid,  quiet  con- 
tent; the  warm  air,  and  the  light  breeze  cause  me  to  feel 
as  if  I  were  in  wonderland,  and  almost  to  doubt  whether 
there  is  the  evil  and  suffering  in  the  world,  of  which  we 
were  speaking  a  little  while  ago." 

"You  can  understand,  Miss  Clothilde,"  I  replied, 
"that  while  there  must  be  the  spirit  to  appreciate  and 
the  disposition  to  enjoy,  yet  the  surroundings  do  make  a 
wonderful  difference  in  the  world  in  which  we  live." 

"Well,"  she  said,  "my  world  has  generally  been  a 
happy  one.  Not  always,  though,  but,  indeed,  I  could  not 
wish  for  uninterrupted  happiness.  There  have  to  be  varia- 
tions in  life.  There  are  storms  and  there  are  nights  like 
these.  The  first  fit  one  for  enjoying  the  other.  Don't 
you  think  so?"  she  said,  turing  her  face  to  me. 

"I  do,"  I  answered,  "and,  besides,  we  know  each 
other  after  storms  often  better  than  ever  before.  We 
learn  who  are  worthy  friends,  who  are  false.  The  light- 
ning purifies  the  air." 

She  was  silent  a  little  while,  and  sat  looking  out  on 
the  water,  her  clear  profile  cut  charmingly  against  the 
white  sail  near  us.  She  spoke  again  slowly  and  in  meas- 
ured tones  without  turning  her  head,  almost  soliloquizing 
as  I  often  knew  her  to  do  in  addressing  me. 

"I  believe,"  she  said,  "I  am  better  for  the  trials  that 
have  visited  me.  There  may  be  others  coming  whose 
effect  I  cannot  foresee,  but  I  will  not  anticipate  them,  not 
on  a  night  as  peaceful  as  this.  You  eulogized  our  people 
highly  this  evening,  Mr.  Maxwell.  Was  it  an  outburst 
of  compliment  or  was  it  a  conviction?" 

"It  was  not  the  first,"  I  answered,  "for  in  talking 
on  such  vital  subjects  with  my  friends  I  should  be  careful 


232  John  Harvey 

not  to  mislead,  nor  to  be  misled  by  momentary  impulses, 
or  the  desire  to  speak  pleasant  things.  It  was  an  opinion 
that  I  do  not  think  will  ever  change." 

"Are  your  opinions  unchangeable;  no,  I  did  not 
mean  that — 'are  your  opinions  easily  or  quickly  formed?" 
she  said. 

"In  most  matters,"  I  replied,  "my  opinions  are  not 
quickly  formed  and,  though  not  unchangeable,  they  are 
not  fickle.  A  just  equality  has  ever  been  one  of  my 
dreams.  I  think  I  have  found  it  well  exemplified  among 
your  people,  an  opinion  I  did  not  express  to-day,  but 
which  I  take  pleasure  in  confessing  to  you  now,  if  you 
value  it." 

"I  do,  indeed,"  she  said  quickly,  "but  I  did  not  mean 
to  draw  you  out  upon  such  a  subject;  I  only  wanted  to 
know  if  what  you  said  to-day  was  well  considered. 

"Do  you  intend  remaining  long  in  the  East?"  she 
inquired. 

"About  a  month,"  I  answered,  "and  then  I  shall 
return  to  Neuropolis;  I  am  too  much  interested  in  this 
city  and  some  of  its  inhabitants  to  think  of  quitting  it 
just  yet." 

"And  these  grand  old  mountains,  Mr.  Maxwell," 
she  said  hastily.  "You  must  not  leave  us  till  you  have 
traveled  more  among  them.  They  are  the  glory  of  our 
land;  the  peers  of  the  Swiss  Alps,  or  your  Scotch  hills; 
you  should  spend  a  whole  summer  among  them — it 
would  repay  you  grandly." 

"Perhaps  I  shall,"  I  said;  "I  am  not  thinking  at  all 
of  leaving  you  yet;  indeed,  I  may  take  up  my  abode 
here." 

"You!"  she  exclaimed;  "I  can  hardly  believe  it.  You, 
an  Englishman!     Are  you  sincere,  or  are  you  jesting?" 

"Heaven  forbid  that  I  should  be  insincere  with  you 


The  Boat  Ride  233 

above  all  others,"  I  answered.  "I  state  nothing  more 
than  what  is  possible;  what  I  have  thought  of,  if  events 
favor  me." 

"May  the  omens  prove  propitious,"  she  cried  gaily; 
"may  we  be  so  fortunate  as  to  have  an  educated,  talented 
and  accomplished  Englishman,  in  your  own  person,  cast 
in  his  lot  among  us." 

"May  I  be  pardoned,"  I  inquired,  entirely  disre- 
garding her  interruption,  "if  I  refer  to  just  one  topic  in 
the  conversation  on  the  boat  this  afternoon?" 

"Certainly,"  she  said;  "pray,  what  was  it?" 

"In  regard  to  home,"  I  answered,  "and  to  its  great 
importance.  I  think  you  will  agree  with  me  that  a  person 
without  a  home  is  destitute  of  one  of  the  sweetest  of  life's 
precious  things.  I  mean  that,  and  I  ought  to  know,  for 
I  have  been  a  rover  and  have  had  no  home." 

"I  do  not  think  you  sincere  now,"  she  said  quickly. 
"You  have  a  home  in  England.  You  are  simply  away 
from  home  temporarily." 

"Well,  I  have  dreamed  of  another,"  I  continued, 
"and  it  was  mine,  not  my  father's.  It  was  an  audacious 
dream.  There  was  the  vision  of  a  face  and  a  figure  that 
have  been  with  me  constantly  for  the  last  few  months;  a 
face  and  a  figure  I  can  never  forget,  they  are  so  dear  to  me, 
and  they  seemed  to  abide  in  the  home  of  which  I  have 
dreamed  and  made  its  light  and  its  sunshine." 

"Oh,  Mr.  Maxwell!"  she  said  rising,  "stop  your  story 
long  enough  to  look  at  the  red  light  from  Mr.  King's  boat. 
See  its  glow  on  the  sail,  and  the  water  and  on  the  two  peo- 
ple in  the  boat.  I  am  going  to  try  if  I  can  make  them 
hear  me,"  and  she  rose  and  moved  quickly  to  the  mast. 
I  gave  the  rudder  a  little  turn  to  swing  the  boat 
around  in  another  direction  and  fastened  the  tiller  as  she 
had  told  me,  and  in  a  moment  was  by  her  side. 


234  John  Harvey 

She  was  very  pale  and  held  to  the  mast,  apparently  to 
sustain  herself. 

"Clothilde,"  I  said,  "you  must  hear  me  out.  Yours 
is  the  face  and  yours  is  the  form  I  have  seen  in  my  dreams, 
and  I  want  you,  for  I  love  you  as  man  seldom  loves  wom- 
an; I  want  you  for  my  own,  for  my  wife." 

I  put  my  arm  about  her  and  continued:  "You  are 
the  one  woman  on  earth  for  me,  dear,  and  have  been 
since  the  first  moment  I  saw  you,  and  I  have  been  long- 
ing to  tell  you  so  for  months.  Have  you  no  word  for  me, 
Clothilde,  or  must  I  wait  for  my  answer?" 

She  was  very  pale  as  she  turned  her  face  to  me,  and 
hesitated  for  words.  "Oh,  Mr.,  what  shall  I  call  you,  Mr. 
Herbert,  I  am  so  sorry  you  said  this  for  I  cannot — I  can- 
not. I  tried  to  stop  you,  but  you  would  not.  I  cannot 
be  your  wife,  or  the  wife  of  any  one." 

"Then  there  is  no  one  else?"  I  asked  eagerly. 

"There  is  no  one  else,"  she  said,  "but  I  cannot  be 
your  wife." 

I  felt  her  tremble  on  my  arm. 

"I  think,"  she  said,  "you  had  better  let  me  go." 

I  did  so  at  once.    "I  do  not  frighten  you?"  I  asked. 

"Oh,  no,"  she  said,  "you  do  not.  I  trust  you  and  I 
know  you  to  be  true,  but  I  cannot  be  your  wife." 

"Then,"  I  said,  "I  will  not  give  you  up,  Clothilde. 
Let  us  go  back  to  the  seat."  We  returned  to  it  and  sat 
down. 

"There  are  many  mysteries  about  you,  Clothilde,"  I 
continued.  "I  have  wondered  at  them.  Once  a  long 
time  ago  I  thought  to  ask  about  them,  but  could  make 
no  progress.  It  seemed  to  me,  even  then,  like  asking 
questions  about  my  own.  I  ceased  and  made  this  reso- 
lution; I  will  ask  no  one,  not  even  herself.  She  will  tell 
me  if  she  wishes;  I  will  trust  my  Love." 


The  Boat  Ride  235 

"And  I  cannot  tell  you  much  now,"  she  answered. 
"I  am  of  the  blood  royal,  sir,"  she  said,  looking  me  ear- 
nestly and  steadily  in  the  face. 

"I  know  not  what  you  mean,"  I  said,  "but  if  you 
were  a  being  from  another  world,  as  I  have  sometimes 
almost  thought,  as  I  marveled  at  your  beauty  and  grace, 
I  would  not  give  you  up,  Clothilde,  unless  you  were 
plighted  to  another,  and  then  I  should  depart,  for  I  would 
not  vex  you,  loving  you  so  dearly." 

"And  in  return  for  all  this,"  she  replied,  drawing  a 
little  nearer,  "I  can  only  say  a  very  selfish  thing.  Though 
there  be  no  obstacle  as  men  count  obstacles,  I  cannot 
promise  what  you  wish,  but  I  cannot  afford  to  lose  you, 
Mr.  Herbert  Maxwell." 

She  stopped,  apparently  at  a  loss  for  words. 

"Truly,  Clothilde,"  I  said,  "you  dispose  of  me  right 
royally." 

"You  are  not  offended  with  me,  are  you?"  she  asked. 

"By  no  means,"  I  replied;  "I  could  not  be." 

"Well,  then,"  she  said,  "believe  I  have  done  the  best 
I  could,  and  that  you  and  I  are  only  a  little  nearer  for 
this  scene,  and  none  will  be  the  wiser." 

"But  I  may  ask  you  again,  dear,"  said  I,  "if  I  think 
you  have  come  to  know  me  better?" 

"You  may,"  she  answered,  "but  I  know  you  bet- 
ter than  you  think,  Mr.  Herbert.  Let  us  sit  together  in 
the  boat,  and  watch  the  lights  and  shadows  on  the  wa- 
ter, and  the  clouds  which  I  remember  once  telling  you 
you  would  have  to  study  alone,  and  look  up  at  the  moon, 
which  has  been  wondering  at  us  for  some  time  back,  and 
especially  at  you,  who  seem  to  think  all  that  is  necessary 
to  your  happiness  is  the  love  of  one  lone  woman." 

"And  I,  I  am  only  afraid,  Clothilde,  that  you  have 
wings,  and  will  fly  away  and  leave  me." 


236  John  Harvey 

"Well,  you  may  imagine  the  wings,  if  you  please," 
she  said.  "I  am  not  aware  of  them,  and  I  have  no  inten- 
tion of  deserting  as  true  and  constant  a  friend  as  you 
have  proved  yourself  to  be  to  me." 

We  remained  on  the  water  a  half  hour  longer,  and 
then  I  took  'her  home,  and  she  bade  me  good-night,  and 
I  returned  to  my  lodgings,  thinking  of  her  and  the 
womanliness  and  tact  she  had  displayed,  and  more  ar- 
dentlv  in  love  with  her  than  ever. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE     RECEPTION. 

On  the  20th  of  September  an  incident  occurred  pre- 
cipitating the  struggle  which  had  long  been  imminent  be- 
tween the  two  systems  of  labor  in  existence  in  the  United 
States. 

Some  time  previous  to  that  date  the  courts  had  re- 
fused the  stay  of  execution  applied  for  by  the  Nationality, 
and  the  creditor  corporation  had  at  once  proceeded  to 
levy  upon  and  sell  no  less  than  ten  townships,  containing 
an  aggregate  of  nearly  one  million  acres,  with  all  the 
buildings,  railroads  and  other  property  in,  or  upon,  them, 
and  also  an  interest  in  the  great  canal  to  supply  water  for 
irrigation.  The  entire  property  thus  sold  was  bought  in 
by  the  creditor  corporation. 

These  townships  were  adjacent  to  each  other,  and 
were  situated  in  the  state  of  Nebraska,  not  far  from  its 
eastern  border. 

A  writ  had  finally  been  put  in  the  hands  of  the  United 
States  marshals,  commanding  them  to  deliver  possession 
of  these  ten  townships  to  those  who  had  bought  them. 

Nearly  fifty  thousand  persons  inhabited  them,  and 
attempts  had  been  made  to  induce  them  to  become  ten- 
ants of  the  purchasers,  but  in  vain;  they  refused  to  pay 
even  a  nominal  rent,  or  to  sign  any  obligation  therefor.  ' 

On  the  day  mentioned  an  effort  was  made  to  evict 
some  of  these  tenants,  and  induct  others  who  would  be 
loyal  to  their  landlords.  Five  hundred  United  States  mar- 
shals, sworn  in  for  the  purpose,  accompanied  by  a  large 

237 


238  John  Harvey 

number  of  other  persons  to  take  the  place  of  the  dispos- 
sessed tenants,  arrived  by  special  train  in  one  of  these 
township  villages. 

They  demanded  possession  of  its  dwellings,  its  lands, 
and  all  other  property  of  the  township. 

It  is  not  likely  that  the  contrivers  of  the  plot  sup- 
posed that  the  marshals  would  be  successful  in  their  un- 
dertaking. They  probably  only  intended  to  provoke  a 
disturbance  that  would  give  ground  for  further  action. 
The  scene  which  followed  can  be  better  imagined  than 
described.  Emboldened  by  their  numbers,  and  the  fact 
that  the  men  of  the  community  were  nearly  all  at  work  in 
the  fields,  the  officers  proceeded  at  once  to  force  entrance 
and  take  possession  of  stores  and  other  buildings.  They 
also  inducted  their  creatures  into  some  of  the  dwellings, 
while  their  former  occupants  assembled  on  the  streets, 
and  hurriedly  sent  word  to  the  men  in  the  fields  of  what 
had  occurred.  These  alarmed  the  surrounding  townships, 
and  returned  at  once  to  their  village,  where,  under  the  or- 
ders of  their  labor  leaders,  they  remained  quietly  in  a 
body,  while  the  marshals  pursued  their  work. 

By  12  o'clock  train  load  after  train  load  of  determin- 
ed men  began  to  arrive  in  quick  succession  from  other  vil- 
lages, and  the  marshals  and  their  creatures  found  them- 
selves surrounded. 

They  would  gladly  have  retreated,  but  their  means  of 
conveyance  were  now  in  possession  of  the  citizens,  who 
intermingled  with  them  and,  by  a  preconcerted  move- 
ment, disarmed  them. 

They  were  commanded  to  replace  all  the  goods  they 
had  seized,  and  restore  the  village  at  once  to  its  former 
condition,  and  those  who  refused  to  aid  in  so  doing  were 
thrust  into  the  water  of  a  large  and  muddy  canal;  not 
once  only,  but  until  they  were  willing  to  do  as  required. 


The  Reception*  239 

Over  two  hundred  of  the  marshals,  and  a  large  number  of 
those  accompanying  them  were  thus  treated,  but  no  other 
indignity  was  offered. 

About  3  o'clock  p.  m.,  they  were  compelled,  wet, 
muddy,  and  hungry,  to  board  their  train,  which,  preceded 
and  followed  by  others  filled  with  citizens,  quickly  car- 
ried them  back  to  the  Missouri,  where,  with  many  threats 
as  to  the  consequences  if  they  returned  again  on  such  an 
errand,  they  were  sent  across  that  river  beyond  the  bor- 
ders of  the  Nationality. 

This  occurrence  created  great  excitement  through- 
out the  Union,  and  its  consequences  were  everywhere  dis- 
cussed. 

The  general  government,  with  a  self-willed  and  de- 
termined Executive  at  its  head,  and  the  Nationality  whose 
existence  and  perpetuity  were  threatened,  were  brought 
into  direct  opposition  to  each  other,  and  their  action  was 
awaited  with  great  anxiety. 

The  evening  of  this  occurrence  I  went  to  see  Clo- 
thilde,  and  found  her  much  excited  over  it,  and  we  talked 
long  and  earnestly  about  it.  I  had  brought  with  me  the 
manuscript  of  John  Harvey,  and  returned  it  to  her,  and 
we  talked  of  that  also. 

"What  do  you  think  of  his  philanthropy?"  she  in- 
quired, eagerly.  "What  do  you  think  of  his  plans  for 
the  amelioration  of  the  condition  of  mankind?" 

"I  have  the  highest  appreciation  of  them,"  I  replied. 
"The  true  philanthropist  is  he  who  shows  mankind  the 
way  to  help  themselves.  John  Harvey  did  that  in  found- 
ing this  Nationality.  I  see  a  great  people  made  better 
and  happier  by  his  work,  and  those  who  knew  him  per- 
sonally, revering  and  cherishing  his  memory.  His  name 
is  indissolubly  connected  with  this  people,  and  though  the 
quality  of  his  actions  cannot  be  affected,  yet  the  estimate 


240  John  Harvey 

placed  upon  them  by  future  generations  will  be  very 
greatly  influenced  by  their  success  or  failure.  His  name 
may  stand  on  a  parity  with  those  of  Washington  and  Lin- 
coln." 

"I  think,"  said  Clothilde,  "that  he  foresaw  this  strug- 
gle on  which  we  are  now  entering,  and  I  think,  too,  he 
saw  its  triumphant  ending.  The  Nationality  cannot  be 
overthrown  by  force;  its  people  are  numerous,  loyal  and 
well  officered,  and  its  cause  appeals  to  every  one  but 
the  selfishly  rich.  If  you  stay  among  us  you  may,  indeed, 
be  able  to  write  a  book,  not  about  me,  though,  but  about 
the  Nationality." 

"I  am  going  to  stay,"  I  answered,  "and  I  hope  to  do 
far  better  work  than  that.  I  am  no  idle  dreamer;  I  have 
long  wished  for  a  chance  to  aid  humanity.  I  see  it  ap- 
proaching, and  I  shall  not  be  found  wanting,  Clothilde." 

"I  know  it,"  she  said,  "I  was  only  referring  to  our 
former  conversation  in  a  sort  of  sorrowful  fun." 

I  bade  her  adieu,  promising  to  come  as  often  as  I 
could,  and  bring  her  word  of  any  event  of  importance. 

I  had,  indeed,  fully  determined  to  offer  my  services 
to  the  Nationality  in  the  struggle  impending  between  it 
and  the  Money  Power. 

Though  all  my  education  and  class  interests  were  in 
favor  of  the  latter,  yet  my  conscience,  my  regard  for  the 
rights  of  humanity,  and  my  love  of  justice,  truth  and 
right,  drew  me  to  the  other  side.  That  the  authorities  of 
the  Nationality  expected  such  a  conflict  was  evident.  All 
trains  entering  its  territory  were  subjected  to  strict  sur- 
veillance, and  its  labor  leaders  were  under  orders  to  hold 
their  men  ready  to  repel  any  attempted  invasion,  whether 
of  marshals  or  soldiery. 

That  the  Nationality  was  supplied  with  the  most 


The  Reception  241 

approved  weapons  to  arm  its  citizens  I  was   well   satis- 
fied. 

In  the  latter  part  of  August  four  or  five  vessels  from 
Europe  had  arrived  at  Corpus  Christi,  and  since  that  time 
every  train  from  that  port  had  been  more  or  less  loaded 
with  their  cargoes;  a  portion  of  which  was  conveyed  to 
the  mountain  towns  and  another  portion  discharged  at  an 
immense  warehouse  in  the  southern  part  of  Neuropolis. 

I  had  seen  some  of  these  stores,  and  my  eye,  accus- 
tomed to  viewing  munitions  of  war,  had  caught  the  fa- 
miliar sight  of  thousands  of  rifle  and  ammunition  boxes. 

The  leaders  of  the  Nationalistic  party  in  the  Congress 
of  the  United  States,  were  men  of  very  great  ability  and 
force.  In  the  Senate,  John  Paul,  the  senior  member  from 
the  state  of  Colorado,  commanded  universal  respect  and 
high  consideration  for  his  integrity,  unblemished  charac- 
ter, clear  intellect  and  dignified,  calm,  and  moderate  de- 
meanor. 

In  the  House  of  Representatives,  Philip  Oram,  a 
member  from  the  state  of  Kansas,  held  a  much  similar  po- 
sition. Oram,  however,  who  was  younger  than  Paul,  was 
eloquent,  demonstrative  and  aggressive.  The  two  states- 
men were  firm  friends  and  acted  in  unison,  the  elder  exer- 
cising much  influence  over  the  younger. 

Shortly  after  the  difficulty  with  the  marshals,  they 
had  announced  their  intention  of  paying  a  flying  visit  to 
Neuropolis,  desiring  to  meet  other  Nationalistic  leaders 
there,  and  to  confer  with  them  on  the  critical  situation. 

The  evening  of  their  arrival,  a  public  reception  was 
given  them  in  the  largest  academy  of  music  in  the  city. 

The  great  assembly  room  was  decorated  in  the  most 
artistic  manner,  with  evergreens,  banks  of  flowers,  and 
rare  tropical  plants,  and  was  resplendent  with  light  and 
coloring. 


242  John   Harvey 

On  a  raised  dais  at  the  stage  end  of  the  room  sat  the 
councilors  and  other  dignitaries  of  the  Nationality,  and 
in  front  of  this  the  two  members  of  Congress  stood,  re- 
ceiving the  salutations  of  the  many  hundreds  of  their  con- 
stituents who  passed  before  them ;  while  a  large  and  bril- 
liant company  of  those  immediately  acquainted  with  them 
collected  in  front,  awaiting  the  time  when  the  more  for- 
mal reception  should  be  over. 

At  an  early  hour  in  the  evening  I  had  been  presented 
by  General  Knox,  and  was  talking  with  Miss  Ashley  at 
a  little  distance  from  the  dais,  when  I  saw  Miss  Clothilde 
approaching  it  on  the  arm  of  General  Canly,  followed  im- 
mediately by  Miss  Canly  and  Mr.  Beyresen;  behind  them 
came  Mrs.  Beyresen,  accompanied  by  a  gentleman  whom 
I  afterwards  learned  was  St.  John,  a  man  well  known 
throughout  the  entire  Nationality  for  his  daring,  deter- 
mination, and  utter  contempt  for  opposition,  or  criticism, 
traits  which  his  countenance  and  bearing  manifested. 

I  was  startled  at  the  appearance  of  Clothilde  Beyre- 
sen. She  was  richly  dressed,  wearing  as  ornaments,  dia- 
mond bracelets  and  necklace,  while  a  circlet  of  frosted  sil- 
ver set  with  diamonds  encompassed  her  head  and  shone 
above  her  raven  black  hair.  Her  tall  figure  was  the  em- 
bodiment of  the  fabled  grace  and  beauty  of  Diana,  and 
she  bore  herself  with  the  most  courtly  dignity,  ease,  and 
self-possession. 

She  and  General  Canly  spent  some  moments  con- 
versing with  the  Congressmen;  and  then  the  two,  with 
Mr.  Beyresen,  ascended  the  dais,  where  to  my  surprise 
Clothilde  remained,  occupying  a  seat  apparently  reserved 
for  her. 

Some  time  after  the  formal  reception  was  over,  I  saw 
her  engaged  in  earnest  conversation  with  Senator  Paul. 
They  walked  slowly  past  an  avenue  in  which  I  stood,  to- 


The  Reception  243 

ward  the  east  end  of  the  room.  They  had  not  at  first  ob- 
served me,  but  after  turning  to  come  back  evidently  did 
so,  for  they  halted,  and  she  soon  left  the  Senator,  who  at 
once  came  toward  me. 

He  was  a  man  past  fifty  years  of  age,  tall  and  digni- 
fied in  appearance,  with  an  intellectual  face,  a  keen,  ob- 
servant eye,  and  a  pleasant,  musical  voice. 

He  addressed  me,  saying,  "You  are  Mr.  Maxwell,  I 
believe.  I  do  not  remember  your  name  from  the  formal 
introduction,  but  my  friend  the  princess  has  just  been 
speaking  of  you.  I  understand  you  are  a  visitor  here  and 
a  native  of  Great  Britain." 

"I  am,"  I  replied,  "and  have  been  so  much  interested 
in  your  fair  city,  and  prosperous  land,  that  my  visit  has 
been  quite  prolonged." 

"Then  we  may  hope,"  said  he,  "you  have  met  noth- 
ing among  us  to  offend  the  conservatism  so  marked  in 
English  character.  Our  institutions  in  this  Nationality 
are  very  different  from  yours,  and  though  time  has  not 
proven  their  qualities  of  endurance,  yet  we  consider  them 
founded  on  principles  capable  of  development  into  a  high- 
er and  nobler  form  of  government  than  any  yet  known. 
Are  you  interested  in  these  subjects,  Mr.  Maxwell?  Par- 
don me,  I  have  heard  you  are,"  he  said,  fixing  his  dark 
eye  on  me. 

"I  am,  indeed,"  I  answered,  "and  have  given  much 
thought  to  them.  Lately  I  have  been  studying  the  history 
of  John  Harvey  in  connection  with  this  land,  and  have 
now  a  very  different  opinion  of  him  from  that  which,  in 
common  with  most  Englishmen,  I  hitherto  entertained." 

"Ah,  I  know,"  said  the  Senator,  with  evident  feeling. 
"You  refer  to  that  awful  catastrophe  of  a  few  years  back, 
in  which  John  Harvey  was  the  principal  actor.  It  embit- 
tered his  whole  after  life,  Mr.  Maxwell,  and  caused  his 


244  John   Harvey 

premature  death,  which  occurred  in  little  more  than  a 
year  after  that  incident.  And  yet,  Mr.  Maxwell,  you  can- 
not judge  the  character  of  men  such  as  he  by  isolated  acts. 
John  Harvey,  too,  had  provocation;  no  one  can  deny  that 
the  firing-  on  him  in  Japanese  waters  was  a  gross  viola- 
tion of  the  laws  of  nations,  and  of  all  rules  of  war.  That 
incident  cost  England  less  blood  and  even  less  treasure 
than  many  other  conflicts  in  which  she  had  been  engaged, 
but  the  terrible  destructiveness  of  the  missiles  John  Har- 
vey used  gave  prominence  to  his  act. 

"He  offended  the  Money  Power  mortally,  not  only 
in  your  country,  but  in  his  own.  The  government  of  the 
United  States  was  then  as  now  in  the  hands  of  that  Power, 
and  he  found  himself  virtually  expatriated.  He  returned 
home  a  victor,  laden  with  spoils,  only  to  find  that  the  ruling 
power  considered  itself  assailed,  and  that  his  government 
was  ready  to  lift  its  hand  against  him  unless  his  treasure 
and  his  secret  of  warfare  were  put  at  its  disposal.  Seeing 
that  his  act  was  about  to  be  used  to  his  own  destruction 
he  left  the  port  of  New  York  one  night,  and,  as  is  sup- 
posed, scuttled  his  vessel  and  sank  her  beneath  the  waves 
of  the  stormy  Atlantic." 

"Did  you  know  John  Harvey,  Senator?"  I  asked. 

"Yes,"  he  replied,  "he  and  I  were  trusted  friends.  I 
knew  him  well,  and,  Mr.  Maxwell,  no  man  has  lived  on 
the  face  of  the  globe  for  the  last  century  who  was  his  peer. 
Socially  he  was  genial,  companionable  and  attractive;  in- 
tellectually he  was  broad,  comprehensive,  and  quick.  His 
foresight  was  almost  prophetic,  and  his  knowledge  of 
men,  and  his  ability  to  deal  with  them,  wonderful.  He 
could  be  most  fascinating  when  he  wished.  There  was  a 
charm  and  magnetic  attraction  in  his  very  presence.  This 
was  much  broken  and  marred  after  the  incident  to  which 
I  have  alluded.     But  he  who  saw  John  Harvey  before 


The  Receptio)i  -      245 

that,  and  conversed  a  half  hour  with  him,  could  never  for- 
get him.  Would  to  God  he  were  alive  to-day!  I  cannot 
refer  to  him,  Mr.  Maxwell,"  the  Senator  added,  "even 
now  without  emotion.  Some  other  time  we  may  talk  fur- 
ther of  him.    I  want  to  know  about  yourself." 

"There  is  little  to  know  of  me,"  I  said.  "I  am  an  En- 
glishman, who,  in  1929,  was  an  officer  on  board  his  majes- 
ty's ship  Vulcan,  which  fired  the  shot  at  John  Harvey's 
vessel,  the  Albatross,  and  precipitated  the  tragedy  to 
which  you  referred.  At  that  time  I  formed  a  hasty  and 
immature  judgment  of  your  great  fellow  country  man, 
which  has  been  dispelled  by  an  insight  into  the  magnifi- 
cent provision  he  has  made  for  distressed  humanity.  I 
have  studied  your  people  and  your  institutions,  and  am 
convinced,  as  an  Englishman  can  only  be  convinced,  after 
mature  consideration,  that  the  hope  of  the  world's  future 
lies  in  them.  I  am  ready  and  waiting  the  opportunity  of 
offering  to  your  Nationality  the  services  of  my  hand  and 
sword  in  the  struggle  which  now  seems  imminent.  I  have 
been  an  officer  in  the  artillery  in  both  land  and  naval  ser- 
vice, and  have  an  extensive  and  accurate  acquaintance 
with  all  the  details  of  modern  gunnery.  If  I  can  be  of  use 
I  desire  to  enlist  with  you.  I  wish  to  do  so  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible, for  I  intend  starting  next  week  on  a  visit  to  the  prin- 
cipal cities  of  the  East."  I  then  informed  the  Senator  of 
my  name  and  rank,  and  asked  his  good  offices  in  further- 
ance of  the  wish  I  had  expressed.  He  deliberated  a  fcv 
moments,  and  then  said:  "There  is  one  person  here  to 
whom,  if  it  be  your  purpose  to  join  us,  I  would  like  to  pre- 
sent you  at  once;  I  refer  to  Mr.  Philip  Oram;  if  agreeable 
to  you,  we  will  have  a  short  talk  with  him  on  the  subject." 

We  soon  found  Mr.  Oram,  and  Senator  Paul,  after  a 
little  private  conversation  with  him,  introduced  me,  and 
stated  my  intentions. 


246  John  Harvey 

Mr.  Oram  was  very  cordial,  and  assured  me  of  the 
pleasure  it  gave  him  to  know  that  I  was  about  to  cast  in 
my  lot  with  the  Nationality.  An  appointment  was  made 
to  meet  the  two  gentlemen  the  following  afternoon  at 
the  office  of  Mr.  Beyresen,  in  the  Administration  Build- 
ing, and  we  separated. 

It  was  now  past  midnight,  and  the  hall  was  fast  be- 
coming deserted.  As  I  strolled  down  one  of  its  aisles  I 
came  upon  Clothildc  Beyresen,  apparently  making  her 
way  to  the  cloak  room. 

"Ah!"  she  exclaimed,  'Mr.  Maxwell,  I  have  not  seen 
you  to-night,  except  at  a  distance." 

"It  is  not  too  late,  is  it,  for  a  turn  in  the  conserva- 
tory with  me?"  I  asked. 

"Oh,  no,"  she  replied,  and  we  took  the  shortest  way 
to  that  place. 

"I  ought  to  have  a  more  brilliant  escort,"  she  contin- 
ued. "You  should  have  worn  your  uniform,  sir;  it  is  a 
night  for  display." 

"The  uniform  and  trappings  of  an  English  lieutenant 
would  be  but  poor  plumes  in  an  assemblage  like  this,"  I 
replied. 

"Could  you  do  no  better  than  that,  my  lord?"  she  re- 
turned. "I  should  like  to  have  seen  you  once  with  all 
your  insignia  of  power  and  place,  and  you  could  have 
worn  them  so  well  to-night." 

"I  do  not  understand  your  highness,"  I  said. 

"O,  prince  of  deceit!"  she  exclaimed,  "thy  name  is 
Herbert  Maxwell,  thy  father  a  simple  farmer,  thy  dwell- 
ing a  cottage,  thy  rank  a  lieutenant.  Lo,  and  behold,  in 
oar  republican  court  stalks  in  disguise  an  English  peer, 
L.ord  Herbert  Maxwell  Dudley,  without  choosing  to  hon- 
or our  presence  with  his  real  name  and  orders.  Is  that 
your  title,  sir?"  she  asked. 


The  Reception  247 

For  a  moment  I  was  bewildered.  "I  crave  your  par- 
don, Princess,"  I  said.  "That  is  my  name  which  seems 
to  be  known  to  you.  I  hope  it  offends  you  not;  it  has 
been  considered  honorable." 

"It  is,"  she  answered,  "then  why  conceal  it,  my  lord?" 

"You  would  have  known  it  to-morrow,"  I  replied.  "I 
have  just  told  Senator  Paul  and  Philip  Oram.  I  am  not 
sure,"  I  added,  "you  did  not  know  it  yesterday." 

We  turned  down  a  path  in  the  conservatory.  "Will 
you  answer  me  one  question,  Clothilde?"  I  asked.  "Had 
I  told  you  my  full  name  that  evening  in  the  boat  would  it 
have  made  any  difference?" 

"It  would  not,"  she  said,  simply. 

"I  am  glad  of  that,  dear,"  I  replied. 

"I  knew  your  title  then,"  she  said,  "as  certainly  as  I 
know  it  now.  Still  I  thought  you  should  have  begun 
your  story  by  telling  me  who  you  were." 

"But,"  I  asked,  eagerly,  "would  your  answer  have 
been  any  different?" 

"It  could  not  have  been,  Mr.  Herbert,"  she  said, 
slowly. 

"But  I  will  hope  some  day  to  change  it,"  I  replied. 
"Who  is  with  you  here?" 

"Papa  and  mamma  Beyresen,"  she  answered. 

"Might  I  assume  their  place  and  take  you  home?" 

"I  think  you  may,"  she  said.  "Let  us  find  them  and 
I  will  see.  The  process  will  be  simple,  and  I  hope  its  re- 
publican directness  will  commend  it." 

We  found  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beyresen  evidently  search- 
ing for  Clothilde.  "Mamma,"  said  she,  "Mr.  Maxwell 
wishes  to  take  me  home." 

"Indeed,"  said  Mrs.  Beyresen,  "I  hope  some  one  will 
do  it,  for  we  have  been  trying  for  the  last  half  hour." 


248  John  Harvey 

We  entered  the  carriage,  and  drove  slowly  home. 
Clothilde  was  full  of  animation. 

"What  shall  I  style  you,  anyway?"  she  said.  "I  ha^e 
been  calling  you  Mr.  Herbert;  I  think  I  shall  continue  to 
do  so." 

"And  you;  what  shall  I  call  you?"  I  asked. 

"Oh!  I  have  assumed  no  disguises." 

"What,  are  you  not  called  the  princess?"  I  inquired. 

"And  am  I  not  of  the  blood  royal,  sir?" 

"You  cannot  disturb  me  by  any  such  claim,"  I  said. 
"I  have  been  calling  you  Clothilde,  and  shall  continue  to 
do  so  till  forbidden." 

We  soon  arrived  at  Mr.  Beyresen's  house,  and  I  took 
my  departure  more  than  ever  mystified.  That  Clothilde 
was  not  indifferent  to  me  was  evident.  In  her  manner 
with  others  she  was  the  princess,  dignified  and  gracious; 
with  me  she  was  the  woman,  frank,  outspoken  and  some- 
times strangely  confidential.  That  she  took  pleasure  in 
my  visits  and  my  company  she  did  not  conceal.  Indeed, 
had  the  former  ceased,  I  was  satisfied  she  would  have 
asked  the  reason,  so  unconventional  was  she  with  me, 
and  yet  with  others  she  was  not  so.  I  saw  around  her 
men  of  character  and  worth,  who  would  have  prized  the 
companionship  with  which  I  was  honored,  but  who  v-ere 
not  admitted  to  it.  If  she  were  not  mine,  at  least  she  be- 
longed to  none  other. 

On  the  succeeding  day  I  met  Senator  Paul,  Philip 
Oram  and  several  others  at  Mr.  Beyresen's  office,  and, 
after  a  long  conversation,  it  was  arranged  that  on  the 
next  day  I,  accompanied  by  Senator  Paul,  should  meet 
the  councilors  in  session  and  give  and  receive  such  as- 
surances as  should  be  deemed  necessary. 

I  will  not  dwell  upon  the  formal  proceedings  of  the 
meeting  with  the  councilors.    Their  session  was  held  in 


7^hc  Reception  249 

a  grand  and  noble  hall  in  the  eastern  portion  of  the  Ad- 
ministration Building,  and  nearly  fifty  of  them  were  pres- 
ent, with  many  of  whom  I  had  some  acquaintance. 

Quite  a  number  of  questions  were  asked  me  in  an  in- 
formal manner,  and  then  the  presiding  officer  called  the 
body  to  order  and  by  unanimous  vote  my  offer  of  ser- 
vices was  accepted.  An  impressive  oath  of  secrecy  in  re- 
gard to  all  affairs  of  the  Nationality  was  administered, 
and  the  ceremony  was  over. 

It  was  tacitly  understood  that  I  should  go  East  as 
originally  contemplated,  and  that  on  my  return  I  should 
make  a  formal  report  to  the  councilors,  and  be  assigned 
to  other  duties. 

Senator  Paul,  in  a  short  speech,  counseled  the  great- 
est prudence  and  moderation  in  all  public  affairs,  expres- 
sions, and  displays.  At  its  conclusion  the  Senator  and  I 
left  the  hall  and  he  bade  me  farewell,  expressing  an  ear- 
nest desire  to  see  me  when  I  arrived  at  Washington. 

To  one  person  alone  I  ardently  desired  to  reveal  the 
results  of  this  meeting,  but  my  oath  and  all  considerations 
of  honor  forbade  me.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  this  per- 
son was  the  one  foremost  in  my  thoughts,  Clothilde  Bey- 
resen.  And  yet  I  was  not  sure  but  that  she  was  already 
cognizant  of  all  that  had  occurred,  so  intimate  seemed 
her  connection  with  the  Nationality,  and  so  strange  the 
confidence  reposed  in  her. 

She  had  never  offered  a  word  of  explanation  of  the 
mysteries  surrounding  her,  and  though  I  had  avowed 
myself  her  lover,  she  set  barriers  between  us  in  regard 
to  them  which  I  could  not  surmount.  I  could  only  wait, 
and  this  I  resolved  to  do  patiently,  working  meanwhile 
zealously  in  what  was  now  a  joint  labor  with  her,  the  real 
interests  of  humanity. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

THE     EAST. 

A  few  days  after  the  events  narrated  in  the  last  chap- 
ter I  left  Neuropolis  for  my  eastern  journey.    The  even 
ing  previous  to  my  departure,  I  called  at  Mr.  Beyresen's 
house,  and  he  gave  me  letters  of  introduction  to  some  of 
his  friends  in  Chicago  and  New  York. 

I  said  good-by  to  the  others,  and  asked  Clothilde  if 
she  would  go  for  a  short  walk,  and  in  a  few  moments  we 
were  out  together  on  the  boulevard. 

"I  wanted  a  little  talk  with  you,"  I  began.  "I  have 
a  wish  that  fills  my  heart  and  yet  has  no  promise  of  at- 
tainment. I  am  leaving  behind  me  the  one  dearest  to  me  in 
all  the  world,  and  she  has  given  me  no  promise  of  accept- 
ance. Can  you  not  answer  me  to-night,  Clothilde,  so 
that  I  may  send  back  messages  of  love  to  you  as  mine 
own?" 

She  was  silent  for  a  moment  and  then,  as  I  looked 
down  at  her,  she  replied:  "I  cannot  now,  Mr.  Herbert.  I 
can  only  say  that  you  are  a  very  near  friend.  I  cannot  say 
what  you  wish.  Neither  you  nor  I  know  what  the  book 
of  fate  holds  for  us." 

"I  hope  it  holds  better  things  than  appear,"  I  an- 
swered. 

"Well,"  she  said,  "I  hope  so,  too,  but  let  us  wait  till 
it  reveals  itself.  It  cannot  be  long,  for  events  are  crowd- 
ing. Let  us  both  be  true  to  friendship.  You  will  not  be 
long  gone?"  she  inquired. 

250 


The  Hast  251 

"About  a  month,"  I  replied.    "May  I  write  you  often 
I  hope  for  prompt  answers,  Clothilde?" 

"You  may,"  she  said;  "I  shall  have  much  leisure 
time,  and  there  will  be  no  pleasanter  way  of  employing  it." 

"You  are  not  very  comforting,  Clothilde,  and  you 
could  be  so  comforting." 

"Judge  leniently,"  she  answered,  and  I  thought  I  saw 
tears  in  her  eyes,  though  there  was  a  smihe  on  her  face. 

"We  have  had  our  talk,"  she  continued;  "let  us  go 
home,  please,"  and  we  went  slowly,  arm  in  arm,  and  I 
bade  her  good-by  at  the  door. 

I  returned  to  my  room,  and  the  following  morning 
left  Neuropolis  for  the  East. 

In  the  course  of  my  tour  I  visited  many  parts  of  the 
country,  and  will  give  in  a  condensed  form  my  observa- 
tions of  the  general  condition  of  its  inhabitants,  and  then 
pass  on  to  narrate  various  incidents  which  occurred. 

The  entire  business  of  the  Eastern  states  was  under 
the  control  of  a  few  giant  corporations  and  trusts,  which 
dictated  the  manner  in  which  it  was  conducted,  and  reap- 
ed the  profits  arising  from  it. 

They  were  the  survivors  of  a  multitude  of  such  com- 
panies, which  years  before  had  competed  fiercely  for  as- 
cendency in  the  markets  of  the  land,  and  fought  each 
other  in  the  courts  and  legislatures  of  the  nation,  by 
means  legitimate,  or  otherwise,  until  all  but  the  more 
powerful  and  unscrupulous  had  perished.  These  divided 
the  field  amongst  themselves,  and  now  seldom  trespassed 
on  one  another's  territory;  their  respective  rights  being 
regulated  by  a  board  of  arbitration  which  they  had  estab- 
lished; and  all  made  common  cause  against  any  transgres- 
sor of  their  rules,  or  invader  of  their  respective  limits. 
The  essential  object  of  these  great  trusts,  or  corporations, 
was  the  amassing  of  enormous  wealth  for  those  owning 

O 


1^1  John  Harvey 

and  controlling  them;  and  being  devoid  of  the  moral 
characteristics  and  responsibilities  of  individuals,  the 
means  they  employed  to  attain  this  object  were  often 
most  iniquitous  in  character  and  pernicious  in  effect. 

They  were  restrained  only  by  the  regulations  of  their 
own  board  of  arbitration,  and  the  laws  passed  by  the  va- 
rious state  legislatures  as  interpreted  by  the  courts.  Both 
legislatures  and  courts,  moreover,  had  long  since  been 
corrupted  by,  and  rendered  subservient  to  them. 

The  men  controlling  these  trusts  and  corporations 
were  the  real  rulers  and  princes  of  the  land.  They  had 
far  greater  power  and  used  it  more  absolutely  than  any 
of  the  nobility  of  Europe;  since  they  virtually  controlled 
the  government,  the  manufactures,  the  commerce,  and 
the  money  of  the  country. 

The  great  landed  proprietors  of  the  United  States, 
who  now  owned  nearly  all  its  soil  and  leased  it  to  tenants, 
occupied  more  the  position  of  the  nobility  in  England 
than  any  other  class  I  met,  having  a  certain  community 
of  interest  with  their  tenantry. 

Unlike  the  English  nobility,  however,  they  had  no 
distinct  political  power,  and  were  unable  to  oppose  suc- 
cessfully the  aggressions  of  the  great  trusts  and  corpora- 
tions, which,  being  able  to  fix  the  mercantile  value  of  all 
that  they  produced,  continually  hampered  and  embar- 
rassed them  in  their  efforts  to  improve  the  condition  of 
their  lands  and  tenantry. 

Between  these  two  classes  there  were  antagonisms 
which  manifested  themselves  in  occasional  struggles,  that 
generally  resulted  in  the  tightening  of  the  cords  by  which 
those  controlling  the  trade,  commerce,  and  money  of  the 
country  held  the  other  bound;  and  it  was  now  believed 
by  many  that  ere  long  the  landed  interests  would  also  be 
entirely  owned  by  these  trusts  and  corporations. 


The  East  253 

In  all  other  respects  competition  had  been  dethroned 
Dy  mutual  agreement;  class  distinctions  based  mainly  on 
wealth  had  been  instituted;  and  the  land  and  its  riches  ap- 
propriated as  conquered  territory  by  persons  so  few  in 
number,  and.  so  unified  in  interest,  that  the  usual  divis- 
ions and  dissensions  among  the  victors,  which  give  hope 
to  the  vanquished,  did  not  occur. 

The  following  extracts  from  a  letter,  written  to  Mr. 
Beyresen  after  I  had  been  absent  several  weeks,  will  show 
from  another  point  of  view  my  estimate  of  the  condition 
of  the  country  and  the  people. 

"Colossal  establishments  control  every  department 
of  manufactures  and  business.  They  use  the  latest  and 
the  best  machinery;  but  its  introduction  has  increased 
rather  than  lessened  the  amount  of  toil  necessary  for  hu- 
man existence,  having  simply  rendered  the  employe  more 
thoroughly  a  slave  by  making  the  employer  more  inde- 
pendent of  him. 

"They  pay  as  little  as  possible  for  labor,  exacting 
long  hours  of  work  from  their  employes,  whom  they  re- 
gard as  little  better  than  the  cogs  in  the  wheels  of  their 
machinery;  the  only  persons  remunerated  sufficiently  to 
enable  them  to  live  in  comfort  being  those  connected 
with  the  management  of  their  business,  and  the  skilled 
workmen,  without  whom  it  must  suffer. 

"They  limit  their  productions  to  an  amount,  and  sell 
them  at  a  price,  fixed  by  the  managers  of  similar  estab- 
lishments all  over  the  country;  such  as  will  afford  the 
best  possible  return  to  their  owners. 

"They  set  values  for  raw  material  so  low,  that  ex- 
tensive capital,  and  the  closest  attention,  are  necessary 
for  its  production  on  a  scale  promising  even  a  small 
profit. 

"The  effect  has  been  very  marked  among  all  classes 


254  John  Harvey 

formerly  engaged  in  such  pursuits,  especially  in  the  agra- 
rian regions. 

"The  independent  middle  class  of  fifty  years  ago, 
who  owned  their  own  farms  and  lived  upon  them,  are 
nearly  all  gone,  having  been  destroyed  by  these  new  con- 
ditions; and  their  homes  have  been  merged  in  the  pos- 
sessions of  the  great  landed  proprietor,  who  counts  his 
acres  by  the  thousands  or  millions,  and  engages  in  agri- 
culture, or  stock  raising,  or  kindred  pursuits,  on  a  scale 
of  great  magnitude.  Those  who  were  once  the  owners 
of  the  soil  now  occupy  the  position  of  hired  laborers,  liv- 
ing generally  in  ill-constructed  and  unhealthy  dwellings; 
poorly  clothed,  poorly  fed,  and  poorly  educated. 

"The  destruction  of  competition  throughout  the  land 
has  been  most  thorough,  but  unfortunately  entirely  in 
the  interests,  not  of  the  masses  as  among  your  people,  my 
friend,  but  of  the  few. 

"The  owners  of  these  great  establishments,  corpora- 
tions, and  trusts,  and  the  great  landed  proprietors,  form  a 
select  class,  who  build  palatial  houses  in  city  and  country, 
own  their  own  pleasure  vessels  at  sea,  and  their  own  spe- 
cial trains  on  land,  in  which  they  travel  like  princes,  and 
enjoy  life  in  luxury,  ease  and  comfort. 

"They  boast,  at  home  and  abroad,  of  the  wealth,  the 
enterprise  and  the  advancement  of  their  country,  and 
point  to  their  own  successes  as  the  evidence  of  its  im- 
measurable superiority  over  all  others. 

"It  is  unnecessary  to  tell  you  how  empty,  vain  and 
frivolous  this  self-glorification  appears  to  me,  for  I  have 
looked  already  beneath  the  surface,  and  have  seen  upon 
what  human  suffering,  want,  and  injustice  all  this  colos- 
sal fabric  rests. 

"The  class  next  to  this  aristocratic  one  consists  of 
their  employes  and  dependents.     It  is  impossible  to  de- 


The  East  255 

scribe  the  various  degrees  of  prosperity  and  contentment 
amongst  them ;  ranging  from  comfort  to  destitution,  from 
placid  submission  to  the  existing  state  of  things  as  the 
only  one  possible,  down  to  the  deep  murmur  of  the  illy- 
paid  and  illy-fed  multitude,  that  can  be  heard  in  its  sullen 
monotone  all  over  the  land,  like  the  voice  of  an  angry 
ocean;  but  in  the  attitude  of  dependency  all  can  be  classed 
together. 

"The  evolution  of  organized  control  in  the  interest  of 
the  few  came  gradually;  and  for  years  the  hardships  it 
brought  were,  and  are,  even  yet  by  many  of  the  people, 
attributed  to  causes  other  than  the  true  ones;  the  exist- 
ence and  peculiar  characteristics  of  your  Nationality  be- 
ing those  generally  adduced. 

"I  need  not  enumerate  the  grievances  alleged  against 
it,  for  you  are  well  acquainted  with  them,  but  I  find  the 
ruling  class,  who  are  its  inveterate  enemies,  continually 
charging  it  with  all  the  distresses  which  have  fallen  on 
the  people.  Their  allegations,  however,  are  not  now  so 
universally  accepted  as  they  were  formerly  by  the  shrewd 
and  intelligent  middle  class,  who  have  begun  to  think 
and  judge  for  themselves.  I  find  many  among  them  who 
look  to  the  ultimate  adoption  of  your  system  as  the  only 
means  of  escape  from  the  evils  surrounding  them. 

"Amid  the  host  of  reformers  of  all  kinds,  however, 
who  exist  in  every  community,  and  the  conflict  of  opin- 
ions among  them,  there  has  as  yet  been  no  ability  mani- 
fested to  devise  ways,  or  means,  or  to  ensure  unity  of  ac- 
tion, for  breaking  the  shackles  so  strangely  riveted  upon 
this  people. 

"There  is  another  and  lower  class,  probably  fully  as 
great  in  strength  as  the  middle  class,  which  must  be  wise- 
ly directed,  or,  like  a  blind  Samson,  it  mav,  in  the  midst  of 


256  John  Harvey 

popular  disturbance,  pull  down,  in  sheer  desperation,  the 
pillars  of  the  entire  fabric  of  civilization. 

"I  refer  to  the  unemployed,  who  are  a  mighty  army 
in  the  land,  and  who  are  being  constantly  recruited  by 
misfortune,  despair,  incapacity  and  other  causes,  and  for 
whom  no  one  cares,  and  who,  therefore,  care  for  no  one. 

"They  live  as  they  can,  in  dilapidated  dwelling  houses 
or  crowded  tenements,  by  beggary,  by  crime,  by  occa- 
sional work;  and  seem  to  have  no  hope  in  this  world,  and 
often  no  care  for  the  next.  They  are  the  dangerous  class, 
who,  in  event  of  opportunity,  strike  unreasoningly  in  re- 
venge for  wrong;  and  are  as  likely  to  be  engaged  in  de- 
struction as  upbuilding,  or  in  manacling  their  fellow 
creatures  as  in  unloosing  their  fetters." 

The  first  city  which  I  visited  on  my  journey  was  Chi- 
cago, the  emporium  of  the  great  northwestern  states,  and 
I  must  mention  a  singular  incident  which  befell  me  there. 

A  few  nights  after  my  arrival,  while  passing  along 
one  of  the  streets,  I  saw,  a  short  distance  before  me,  a 
man  walking  rapidly  in  the  direction  in  which  1  was  pro- 
ceeding. His  strong  figure  and  firm  and  peculiar  step 
seemed  somewhat  familiar,  and  in  a  few  moments  I  was 
satisfied  that  it  was  St.  John.  Wishing  to  speak  with 
him  I  followed.  He  turned  a  corner  abruptly,  and  disap- 
peared within  a  door  which  closed  behind  him.  An  in- 
stant later  I  reached  it,  and  on  my  statement  that  I  wished 
to  see  Mr.  St.  John,  who  had  just  entered,  I  was  admitted. 
The  room,  which  was  the  antechamber  to  a  larger  hall, 
was  filled  by  men  plainly  of  the  working  class,  but  of  evi- 
dent character  and  intelligence.  Many  of  them  went  at 
once  into  the  larger  room,  giving  some  kind  of  a  pass 
word,  and  others  who  lingered  longer  looked  suspiciously 
at  me.  I  saw  that  I  had  intruded  upon  a  meeting  of  some 
secret  order,  and  attempted  to  pass  out  of  the  door  into 


The  East  257 

the  street,  but  was  refused  egress,  with  the  statement  that 
I  would  be  required  to  account  for  my  presence. 

There  was  only  one  thing  to  be  done,  and  I  requested 
the  men  to  give  my  name  to  Mr.  St.  John,  and  ask  him  to 
please  come  out  to  see  me.  This  he  did  in  a  few  moments, 
and  recognized  me,  and  I  informed  him  of  the  unfortunate 
blunder  I  had  made.  He  looked  much  concerned,  and 
his  manner  was  stern  and  reserved.  He  took  me  aside 
and  impressed  upon  me  in  no  very  gentle  terms  the  re- 
quirement of  absolute  secrecy  in  regard  to  my  meeting 
with  him,  and  the  circumstances  attending  it;  adding  that 
he  had  no  doubt  my  sentiments  of  honor  would  cause  me 
to  accede  to  his  request.  Without  more  ceremony,  or 
delay,  he  instructed  those  in  charge  of  the  outer  door  to 
allow  me  to  depart,  which  I  did  at  once,  wondering  at  the 
presence  of  this  man  in  Chicago. 

I  arrived  in  New  York  City  on  the  tenth  day  of  Octo- 
ber, 1935,  and  found  letters  from  Clothilde  and  Mr.  Bey- 
resen  awaiting  me. 

I  answered  them  soon  after,  and  will  give  some  ex- 
tracts from  the  one  sent  Clothilde : 

"This  is  a  city  second  only  to  London  in  population. 
Many  of  its  inhabitants  live  in  palaces,  surrounded  by 
magnificence;  a  still  larger  number  in  genteel  poverty, 
and  a  host  in  penury  and  absolute  want. 

"Thousands  tramp  the  streets  without  employment, 
kept  from  audacious  crime  by  the  iron  hand  of  the  law 
alone,  which  becomes  more  and  more  rigid  as  the  years 
go  by. 

"I  have  seen  poverty  in  European  cities,  but  there  the 
government  feeds  and  clothes  the  needy  as  a  matter  of 
right  and  public  safety;  while  here  no  such  policy  has 
been  adopted ;  and  no  one  cares  systematically  for  the  un- 
employed or  their  families.    Their  existence  is  considered 


258  John  Harvey 

a  disgrace  to  themselyes,  and  to  the  community  in  which 
they  live. 

"All  my  ideas  in  regard  to  riches  and  poverty  have 
changed  since  I  have  seen  the  Nationality.  I  do  not  think 
I  could  be  content  to  live  in  opulence,  knowing  my  neigh- 
bor to  be  in  want;  and  yet  under  the  old  system,  if  I  spent 
all  I  had  in  charity  I  could  relieve  but  a  tithe  of  the  suffer- 
ing, and  might  myself  be  speedily  in  want.  It  is  the  sys- 
tem that  is  wrong;  not  so  much  the  people.  I  have  b^en 
asked  many  questions  about  your  land,  all  of  which  I 
have  answered  as  fully  as  I  could;  but  I  find  it  almost 
impossible  to  explain  to  any  one  here  how  life  can  be  of 
much  account  without  some  opportunity  of  money  get- 
ting. 

"Possibly  if  you  talked  to  them  their  ideas  might  be 
changed,  for  I  am  so  late  a  convert  that  the  fault  may  be 
mine  own. 

"Speculators  and  adventurers  of  all  kinds,  and  pro- 
moters of  schemes  of  all  natures;  the  shrewdest,  keenest, 
most  daring  and  unscrupulous  men  anywhere  to  be  found, 
flock  here;  all  intent  on  getting  money.  Their  sagacity 
and  boldness  are  wonderful,  and  their  manipulations  of 
the  money  and  stock  markets  of  the  country  are  often  suc- 
cessfully managed,  but  their  gain  means  ruin  to  thou- 
sands of  others. 

"Though  I  belong,  as  you  now  know,  to  the  leisure 
class,  I  have  not  been  accustomed  to  seeing  riches  ob- 
tained by  avowed  chicanery,  and  legalized  robbery. 
Though  such  methods  may  be  employed  in  England,  I 
have  never  been  brought  in  contact  with  them,  and  wher- 
ever used  they  must  be  condemned. 

"The  more  I  learn  of  the  country  to  the  east  of  you 
and  of  the  system  under  which  its  people  live,  the  more 
am  I  in  love  with  your  own  happy  land,  and  the  more  am 


The  East  259 

I  impressed  with  the  idea  that  you  have  very  largely  solv- 
ed the  problem  of  the  ages  of  which  Mr.  Jones  spoke  on 
the  momentous  occasion  of  our  boat  ride. 

"I  am  becoming  disgusted  with  the  world's  estimate 
of  people.  The  nearer  one  values  men  and  women  for 
what  they  really  are  in  themselves,  the  nearer  he  gets 
to  the  estimate  which  their  Creator  places  upon  them.  I 
do  not  mean  that  they  should  be  judged  by  what  they 
have  done,  for  the  opportunity  to  do  may  not  have  been 
afforded  them ;  neither  by  what  their  ancestors  have  done, 
for  their  acts  belong  to  themselves,  and  their  children  can 
only  claim  respect  by  being  worthy  scions  of  a  worthy 
race. 

"I  do  not  undervalue  good  blood;  I  have  seen  what 
it  can  do  and  endure;  and  in  the  presence  of  danger  I 
would  rather  trust  to  the  good  blood  of  England,  or 
France,  which  has  character  to  support,  than  to  meaner 
strains  coming  from  the  same  nations.  But,  after  all,  we 
must  finally  look  to  the  man  himself.  Has  he  the  compo- 
sition of  a  churl  or  a  hero;  is  he  noble  or  ignoble?  I  am 
sure  you  have  decided  views  on  these  subjects,  and  if  you 
will  communicate  them  to  me  I  shall  be  glad  to  receive 
them.  Write  me,  please,  another  of  your  cheery  letters, 
bright  and  breezy  as  your  skies  and  full  of  the  aroma  of 
your  mountains,  and  I  will  bless  the  unconscious  post- 
man who  delivers  it." 

I  had  an  object  in  referring  to  class  distinctions  in 
this  letter.  I  knew  that  if  I  connected  myself  with  the 
Nationality,  my  residence  must  be  permanently  within  its 
borders,  and  my  rank  among  the  English  nobility  would 
be  virtually  forfeited.  I  had  fully  made  up  my  mind  to 
this  before  proposing  to  Clothilde,  and  had  desired  to 
make  her  acquainted  with  my  intention.  During  the  next 
few  weeks  she  and  I  exchanged  letters,  in  which  the  sub- 


2oo  John  Harvey 

ject  was  incidentally  mentioned,  and  we  came  to  a  tacit 
but  clear  understanding  about  it. 

The  manner  in  which  I  was  received  in  New  York 
confirmed  my  decision.  My  name  and  title  appeared  to 
be  the  sesame  which  opened  the  doors  of  its  most  exclu- 
sive clubs  and  its  richest  and  most  aristocratic  society.  I 
was  asked  to  dinners  and  entertainments  so  numerous 
that  to  attend  a  tithe  of  them  would  have  completely  frus- 
trated the  object  of  my  visit.  I  accepted  several  such  in- 
vitations, and  declined  many,  and  found  invariably  that 
my  regrets  were  received  with  much  disappointment  and 
chagrin.  This  experience  was  oppressive  to  me.  These 
people  only  wished  to  court,  fete,  and  lionize  me  that  they 
might  associate  my  title  with  themselves.  Time  was 
when  I  would  not  have  inquired  into  their  motives  so 
misanthropically;  now  I  did,  and  it  was  a  humiliation. 
Thereafter  I  persistently  refused  all  attention  tendered 
from  such  motives,  and  occupied  myself  sedulously  in 
gaining  information  about  the  condition  of  the  Eastern 
people,  and  the  attitude  they  were  likely  to  assume  to- 
ward the  Nationality 

Some  of  the  rich  business  men  of  the  city,  who  were 
in  frequent  and  intimate  communication  with  the  Presi- 
dent, assured  me  that  he  had  not  as  yet  decided  what 
course  to  pursue  in  the  controversy,  and  the  majority  of 
them  thought  him  too  slow  in  action.  With  one  hun- 
dred thousand  regular  troops  at  his  command,  they  de- 
clared he  should  at  once  have  taken  possession  of  the  dis- 
puted townships,  and  asserted  the  supremacy  of  the  law 
by  delivering  them  to  the  parties  who  had  bought  them 
and  were  their  rightful  owners. 

On  my  intimating  that  the  matter  might  possibly  be 
too  important  to  be  thus  summarily  dealt  with,  I  was  met 
by  a  legal  argument  to  which,  as  it  was  based  on  the  prin- 


The  East  261 

ciples  of  their  system,  I  could  not  reply.  This  was  usually 
supplemented  by  the  statement  that  the  Nationality  was 
inimical  to  all  the  other  interests  of  the  country,  and 
could  not  endure. 

Very  few  of  them  had  any  doubt  of  the  final  result 
of  a  conflict.  They  considered  the  Nationality  as  a  body 
founded  on  absurd  principles,  by  John  Harvey,  whom 
they  designated  as  an  unscrupulous  demagogue,  who  had 
failed  in  an  attempt  at  dictatorship,  and  they  declared  that 
it  would  quickly  fall  to  pieces  if  attacked. 

Among  the  great  lawyers  and  politicians  of  the  me- 
tropolis, I  found  more  division  of  feeling.  Many  of  the 
former  questioned  the  correctness  of  the  decision  of  the 
courts,  but  none  of  them  saw  any  other  course  than  its  en- 
forcement. Those  in  these  professions  were  better  in- 
formed as  to  the  principles  and  resources  of  the  Nation- 
ality than  the  business  men,  but  considered  its  system 
opposed  to  that  of  the  rest  of  the  country;  and  as  chimeri- 
cal ;  and  thought  that  in  time  its  inherent  weakness  would 
cause  its  failure;  but  confessed  that  if  a  lengthy  struggle 
should  occur  there  was  great  danger,  in  the  present  con- 
dition of  affairs,  that  a  socialistic  revolution  would  sweep 
over  the  land. 

The  opinions  of  the  clergy  were  as  various  as  their 
positions.  Some  of  them  who  ministered  to  rich  congre- 
gations prayed  openly  that  the  heresy  of  attempting  to 
evade  the  ancient  fiat,  that  in  the  sweat  of  his  brow  man 
must  earn  his  daily  bread,  might  be  forever  eradicated; 
and  others,  the  pastors  of  less  wealthy  churches,  said  lit- 
tle, but  admitted  that  if  the  principles  of  the  Nationality 
could  be  carried  out,  the  burdens  on  the  people  would 
be  lightened. 

I  found  nearly  all  of  the  middle  class  anxious  for 
some  beneficial  change;  and  many  of  them  well  acquaint- 


262  John  Harvey 

ed  with  the  principles  of  the  Nationality  and  deprecating 
any  invasion  of  its  territory. 

The  third  class  here,  as  in  other  places,  was  ready 
for  any  change,  no  matter  what ;  ready  at  any  moment  to 
join  an  army  of  subjugation,  or  to  break  forth  in  riot 
against  civic  authority  at  home. 

When  I  had  concluded  my  inquiries,  I  must  confess 
I  was  sick  at  heart.  After  nineteen  hundred  years  of  civ- 
ilization, was  one  of  the  most  important  questions  ever 
given  man  to  decide,  in  which  the  future  of  his  race  was 
so  greatly  concerned,  to  be  determined  with  so  little  con- 
sideration and  so  largely  by  prejudice. 

In  the  labor  organizations,  alone,  did  hope  remain. 
They  knit  together  the  men  of  the  middle  and  lower 
classes,  the  bone  and  sinew  of  the  land.  It  was  a  period 
of  constant  though  secret  agitation  among  them;  meet- 
ings of  their  leaders  had  been  held  in  all  the  large  cities, 
and  one  was  now  in  progress  in  New  York.  I  had  seen 
on  the  streets  of  that  city  the  powerful  figure  of  St.  John, 
and  I  could  divine  now  the  character  of  his  mission  here, 
and  that  of  the  assembly  I  had  so  unwittingly  entered  in 
Chicago. 

But  of  the  exact  position  of  the  labor  organizations  on 
these  matters  every  one  seemed  ignorant;  and  it  was  gen- 
erally supposed  that  they  were  discordant  and  diverse  in 
opinion  among  themselves.  One  name,  however,  was 
always  mentioned  with  respect  and  regard  by  their  mem- 
bers, and  that  was  the  name  of  Philip  Oram.  Among 
bankers,  brokers  and  others  of  that  class,  John  Paul  was 
credited  with  being  the  most  able  leader  of  the  National- 
ity; but  among  the  people  Philip  Oram's  utterances  and 
opinions  seemed  to  have  the  greatest  influence. 

It  was  evident  that  these  two  men;  the  one  an  emi- 
nent Senator,  the  other  an  eloquent,  magnetic  Congress- 


Hie  East  263 

man,  would  be  the  leaders  on  the  Nationalistic  side  in  any 
conflict,  and  that  the  words  of  the  latter,  especially,  would 
have  great  weight  with  the  masses  of  the  people. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  20th  of  October,  came  by  tel- 
egram, a  proclamation  from  the  President,  that  day  is- 
sued in  Washington,  exciting  universal  attention  and 
causing  breathless  surprise,  even  in  this  city,  used  to  stir- 
ring and  sensational  events. 

It  recited  in  resonant  words  the  resistance  offered  to 
the  execution  of  the  laws  of  the  United  States  in  certain 
townships  in  the  State  of  Nebraska,  on  the  20th  day  of 
September,  1935;  and  declared  that  the  civil  authorities 
of  that  state,  though  requested  so  to  do,  were  unable,  or 
unwilling,  to  suppress  this  insurrection ;  that  these  town- 
ships were  now  occupied  by  large  bodies  of  men,  ready 
by  force  and  arms  to  obstruct  the  execution  of  the  laws 
of  the  United  States,  and  the  judgment  of  its  courts;  and 
that  the  President  commanded  all  such  persons  to  dis- 
perse, and  cease  their  unlawful  acts  against  the  peace  and 
dignity  of  the  United  States,  and  all  others  upholding 
them  to  desist,  within  the  period  of  thirty  days  from  and 
after  the  issuing  of  the  proclamation;  otherwise  he  would 
see  to  it  that  the  laws  and  decrees  of  the  courts  were  obey- 
ey ;  and  that  the  entire  power  of  the  government  would,  if 
necessary,  be  used  to  compel  such  obedience. 

This  proclamation  was  posted  on  the  bulletin  boards 
of  the  city,  and  immense  crowds  assembled  around  them 
and  the  offices  of  the  great  dailies,  to  gain  all  available  in- 
formation. The  attitude  of  these  papers  is  shown  by  the 
following  head-lines,  which  I  preserved: 

'The  Laws  Must  Be  Executed  and  the  Judgment 
of  the  Courts  Respected;"  "The  President  Takes  a  De- 
cided Stand  in  Favor  of  Law  and  Order;"  "The  President 
Will  Meet  Force  by  Force;"  "A  Struggle  Between  Law 


264  John  Harvey 

and  Order,  and  Mob  Rule  and  Anarchy  Imminent;" 
"Shall  the  Courts  Be  Obeyed?  The  President  Says  They 
Shall,"  etc. 

That  evening  I  mingled  with  the  crowds  upon  the 
streets,  and  observed  that  they  were  composed  very 
largely  of  the  idle  and  lower  class  of  the  people.  The 
working  men  on  their  way  home  did  not  pause  long  to 
read  the  bulletins,  or  linger  with  the  multitude,  and  mani- 
fested no  enthusiasm  or  approval. 

On  the  day  following,  I  visited  several  clubs  where  I 
was  pretty  well  acquainted,  and  give  some  of  the  senti- 
ments expressed  there  by  other  classes  of  citizens. 

"He  could  do  nothing  less,"  said  a  prominent  busi- 
ness man,  referring  to  the  President;  "either  we  have  a 
government,  or  we  have  none,  and  we  shall  teach  these 
Western  states  that  we  have  one." 

"The  President  is  right  legally,"  said  an  eminent 
lawyer.  "The  next  question  is,  will  the  states  compris- 
ing the  Nationality  have  the  patriotism  to  see  it,  and  sub- 
mit?" 

"I  am  glad  this  question  is  to  be  settled  once  for  all 
time,"  said  a  speculator.  "This  socialism  has  been  an 
incubus  on  business  for  the  last  fifteen  years,  and  the 
sooner  it  is  ended  the  better." 

"The  matter  is  brought  to  a  focus  now,"  said  a  rich 
banker,  "and  we  shall  see  whether  the  ten  million  fanatics 
rule  the  nation,  or  its  ninety  million  freemen." 

Thus  they  talked,  but  I  failed  to  find  that  the  Presi- 
dent had  any  of  the  support  that  springs  from  the  mighty 
heart  of  a  sympathetic  and  patriotic  people,  which  con- 
sidered its  life,  or  its  cherished  institutions  threatened. 
Self-interest  seemed  the  mainspring  of  all  the  approval 
expressed,  and  I  left  New  York  for  Washington  a  few 
days  later,  feeling  that  when  the  President  became  aware 


The  East  265 

of  the  true  nature  of  his  support,  he  might  hesitate  in  us- 
ing force. 

I  then  knew  little  of  the  character  of  the  Executive,  of 
the  power  of  the  moneyed  classes,  and  the  great  advant- 
age they  possessed  in  the  logical  legality  of  their  proceed- 
ings. 

I  was  unacquainted  with  the  respect  shown  by  all 
Americans  for  law,  even  when  the  spirit  was  dead  and  the 
form  only  existed;  and  I  was  to  discover  later,  how  pow- 
erful self-interest  could  be  in  urging  even  good  men  to 
extreme  action. 

On  these  matters  I  found  John  Paul,  Philip  Oram, 
and  other  leaders  of  the  Nationality  much  better  posted 
than  myself.  They  understood  well  the  magnitude  of 
the  task  of  showing  to  their  fellow  countrymen  the  jus- 
tice of  their  cause,  and  the  injustice  of  the  proceeding 
against  them. 

Congress  was  in  session  in  Washington,  and  politi- 
cians filled  every  hall,  and  hourly  discussed  the  situation. 
There  was  a  sense  of  expectancy  in  the  air.  The  Presi- 
dent was  universally  considered  a  very  determined  man, 
and  the  proclamation  was  issued,  it  was  said,  after  full 
discussion  by,  and  with  the  unanimous  approval  of  his 
cabinet.  It  was  understood  that  he  commanded  suffi- 
cient strength  in  Congress  to  secure  all  necessary  appro- 
priations, and  that  neither  men  nor  money  would  be 
wanting  to  aid  him  in  the  course  he  had  adopted. 

I  met  my  friends  and  acquaintances,  and  among 
them  Senator  Paul,  and  learned  that  Philip  Oram  was 
daily  expected  to  arrive  from  Neuropolis.  The  former 
introduced  me  to  a  number  of  Congressmen,  advising  me, 
however,  not  to  appear  at  present  as  a  partisan  in  the  con- 
troversy. He  also  wished  me  to  visit  the  President,  and 
mentioned  Mr.  Hamilton,  with  whose  wife,  now  in  Wash- 


266  John  Harvey 

ington,  he  knew  I  had  some  acquaintance,  as  a  very  good 
person  to  present  me. 

The  next  day  I  called  upon  Mrs.  Hamilton  and  re- 
newed the  acquaintance  so  pleasantly  begun  in  Neuropo- 
lis.  She  had  been  informed  of  my  true  name  and  title, 
and  accused  me  of  masquerading.  Mr.  Hamilton  soon 
came  in  and  conversed  quite  at  length  on  various  topics. 
He  was  very  guarded  in  what  he  said  in  reference  to  the 
controversy  with  the  Nationality,  being,  as  I  had  been  in- 
formed, of  the  party  of  the  President. 

He  was  not,  however,  a  thorough  advocate  of  the 
of  force;  though  he  said  it  was  very  difficult  to  see 
why  the  laws  and  decisions  of  the  courts  ought  not  to 
have  the  same  effect  in  the  state  of  Nebraska  as  in  the 
state  of  New  York,  and  that  it  would  be  hard  to  make  the 
citizens  of  the  latter  state  believe  that  there  should  be  any 
difference.  This,  he  said,  was  the  ground  the  President 
took,  and  it  was  very  strong  ground  on  which  to  stand 
before  the  American  people. 

On  my  expressing  a  wish  to  meet  the  President,  he 
at  once  offered  his  services,  informing  me  that  he  had  an 
appointment  with  him,  and  would  request  permission  to 
introduce  me  the  next  day.  After  some  further  talk,  I  de- 
parted, and  in  the  morning  a  message  from  Mr.  Hamilton 
informed  me  that  the  President  would  receive  us  at  4 
o'clock  p.  m. 

A  little  before  that  hour  we  reached  the  executive 
mansion,  and  were  soon  ushered  into  the  presence  of  the 
chief  magistrate.  The  President  of  the  United  States 
was  a  large,  corpulent  man,  of  full  habit,  about  forty-eight 
years  of  age,  evidently  of  great  self-confidence,  of  much 
ability,  and  fully  impressed  with  a  sense  of  the  dignity 
and  importance  of  his  office.  He  spoke  slowly  and  dis- 
tinctly, often  pausing  to  determine  upon  the  proper  word 


The  East  267 

to  give  force  to  his  utterances,  which  were  oracularly  de- 
livered. He  had,  I  understood,  risen  by  rapid  gradations 
from  obscurity  to  his  present  position,  and  commanded 
his  party  by  an  assumption  of  superior  wisdom,  how  well 
founded  I  could  not  tell.  But  he  had  in  the  main  been 
successful  in  his  political  battles,  and  had  always  been  re- 
garded as  a  victorious  leader,  possessing  great  sagacity, 
foresight  and  political  acumen. 

While  this  prestige  had  suffered  some  diminution 
from  the  continued  monetary  and  business  distresses  then 
prevalent,  yet  he  was  still  considered  by  most  of  his  party 
as  the  foremost  man  of  the  times  in  ability,  honesty  and 
patriotism. 

He  was  the  man  to  have  friends  and  also  to  make  en- 
emies; I  could  see  that  in  the  short  period  of  my  inter- 
view. He  questioned  me  about  many  things  relative  to 
England,  China,  and  India;  and  especially  the  colonial  sys- 
tem of  Great  Britain;  and  volunteered  much  information 
as  to  the  relations  of  the  government  of  the  United  States, 
and  the  individual  states,  and  the  constitutional  limits  of 
each,  and  stated  that  these  had  in  the  past  been  overstep- 
ped and  disregarded;  a  fact  which  he  deplored,  but  attrib- 
uted to  the  circumstances  of  the  times,  and  the  short- 
sightedness of  those  engaged  in  the  conduct  of  affairs. 

Though  nothing  was  said  of  the  existing  troubles 
with  the  Nationality,  yet  I  could  divine  that  he  had  these 
in  view  in  many  of  the  remarks  he  made.  I  could  also  see 
that  he  undertook  their  settlement  with  that  cool,  phleg- 
matical  temperament,  which,  when  once  determined,  can 
seldom  be  shaken  by  anything  less  than  overwhelming 
defeat.  I  left  his  presence  convinced  that  from  him  the 
Nationality  could  expect  nothing,  and  would  meet  a 
strong  will  bent  on  absolute  submission. 

I  spent  the  ensuing  evening  at  home,  having  taken  a 


268  John  Harvey 

severe  cold  which  kept  me  confined  to  my  room  for  two 
days,  a  circumstance  which  I  regretted  very  much  at  the 
time,  for  discussions  had  already  begun  in  Congress,  on 
the  matters  in  controversy  between  the  Nationality  and 
the  government. 

I  afterward  found  I  was  really  little  the  loser,  since 
during  this  time  only  the  preliminary  skirmishing  be- 
tween the  captains  and  lieutenants  of  the  respective  par- 
ties occurred,  and  I  was  so  fortunate  as  to  hear  finally  the 
speeches  of  their  great  leaders. 

During  my  enforced  seclusion,  I  received  from  Clo- 
thilde  Bey resen  a  letter  descriptive  of  what  was  occurring 
in  the  Nationality,  a  portion  of  which  I  quote  for  the  in- 
formation of  the  reader. 

After  some  remarks  upon  the  President's  proclama- 
tion, she  described  its  effect  upon  popular  feeling  thus: 
"Every  one  is  aroused  to  the  full  appreciation  of  the  dan- 
ger, and  apparently  ready  to  meet  it.  It  strikes  at  the 
homes  of  our  citizens,  and  has  all  the  force  of  a  personal 
attack,  as  well  as  one  upon  our  country. 

"The  tension  is  very  great  and  finds  relief  all  over  our 
land  in  public  meetings,  drills  and  songs  of  a  patriotic 
character.  I  see  how  a  peaceful  nation,  as  well  as  a  peace- 
ful individual,  can  be  suddenly  changed  into  a  war-like 
one. 

"I  must  say  that  I  disapprove  of  much  of  the  feeling 
exhibited,  especially  as  it  borders  often  upon  the  vindic- 
tive. However,  the  lioness  who  finds  a  stranger  in  her 
lair,  does  not  tear  him  to  pieces  in  a  remorseful  manner, 
but  I  fancy  she  growls  with  satisfaction  as  she  does  it. 
God  save  us  from  this  feeling,  and  from  all  other  evil  ones, 
and  deliver  us  from  our  troubles.  This  has  been  my  con- 
stant prayer  to  Him." 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

PROCEEDINGS    IN     CONGRESS. 

As  soon  as  I  had  recovered  from  my  indisposition  I 
attended  one  or  other  of  the  houses  of  congress  daily  and 
listened  to  the  debates  going  on  in  them.  The  speeches 
were  very  earnest,  for  the  feeling  had  already  become 
intense. 

In  the  senate,  owing  possibly  to  the  more  dignified 
habits,  smaller  number  and  greater  age  of  its  members, 
this  was  more  repressed  than  in  the  house,  but  even  there 
manifestations  of  a  partisan  character  frequently  oc- 
curred. 

The  chief  leader  of  the  Administration  in  the  senate 
was  Mr.  Edmundson,  of  New  York  state,  a  man  of  much 
forensic  ability  and  acumen.  He  had  spoken  briefly  at 
the  opening  of  the  debate,  and  had  given  notice  that  he 
desired  to  be  heard  again  on  the  second  day  of  Novem- 
ber. 

It  was  understood  that  his  speech  would  be  a  re- 
view of  the  causes  which  had  led  to  the  unhappy  im- 
broglio with  the  states  of  the  Nationality,  and  an  appeal 
for  the  preservation  of  law  and  order  at  all  hazards.  It  was 
expected  that  Senator  Paul,  of  Colorado,  would  reply, 
and  would  indicate  the  course  the  Nationality  would 
pursue. 

I  was  present  in  the  consular  gallery  and  heard  these 
speeches  and  will  give  a  brief  resume  of  them. 

Mr.  Edmundson  said:  "Among  the  well-known  and 
269 


270  John  Harvey 

approved  principles  of  law,  none  is  better  established 
than  the  duty  of  all  persons,  natural  or  artificial,  to  pay 
all  debts  found  to  be  just  and  legal  by  the  courts  of  the 
land.  On  refusal  so  to  pay,  a  sequestration  and  sale  of 
sufficient  of  the  property  of  the  debtor  to  satisfy  the  judg- 
ment invariably  follow.  This  universal  sequence  had  oc- 
curred in  the  controversy  carried  on  in  the  courts  be- 
tween the  body  called  the  Nationality  and  certain  other 
parties. 

"Upon  the  sequestration  and  sale  of  its  property  the 
Nationality  refused  to  deliver  it  to  the  purchaser,  and  ac- 
cordingly the  court  issued  a  writ  of  possession. 

"The  officers  of  the  law,  charged  with  the  execution 
of  this  writ,  had,  however,  been  met  by  organized  and  de- 
termined resistance  of  so  formidable  a  character  they  were 
unable  to  overcome  it.  An  appeal  for  aid  was  therefore 
made  to  the  executive  arm,  in  which  reposes  the  collective 
strength  of  the  government. 

"The  President  of  the  United  States,  the  Executive 
of  the  nation,  has  now  issued  his  proclamation  command- 
ing all  persons  so  resisting,  hindering,  or  obstructing 
the  execution  of  the  mandates  of  the  court,  or  in  any  way 
aiding  or  abetting  in  such  resistance,  hindrance,  or  ob- 
struction, to  desist  from  so  doing  within  the  period  of 
thirty  days. 

"The  proclamation  is  a  note  of  warning  that,  if  such 
unlawful  interference  continue,  other  and  decided  action 
will  follow.  The  President  has  done  his  duty;  he  has 
taken  the  first  step,  in  accordance  with  his  oath  of  office, 
in  seeing  to  it  that  the  laws  be  executed. 

"Obligations  no  less  plain  devolve  upon  the  legisla- 
tive branch  of  the  government;  co-ordinate  as  it  is  with 
the  Executive  it  must  assist  him  in  the  performance  of 
this  task  by  giving  him  its  moral  and  material  aid;  re- 


Proceedings  in    Congress  271 

sponsible  as  it  for  the  enactment  of  laws  for  the  pro- 
tection of  the  lives,  liberty,  property,  peace  and  happiness 
of  all  its  citizens,  it  must  inquire  into  whatever  threatens 
to  jeopardize  any  of  these,  and  by  proper  legislation  re- 
strain, or  remove  it. 

"That  member  of  the  legislative  branch  of  the  gov- 
ernment who  hesitates  to  support  the  President,  or  to  in- 
quire into  the  causes  of  this  resistance  to  the  enforce- 
ment of  the  laws,  must  be  called  recreant  to  his  duty  and 
to  the  trust  reposed  in  him  by  the  people. 

"What  material  aid  the  President  may  require  does 
not  yet  appear,  and  is  matter  for  later  determination,  but 
we  should  without  delay  ascertain  the  causes  of  this  or- 
ganized resistance." 

Mr.  Edmundson  then  entered  upon  a  lengthy  dis- 
cussion of  the  history,  principles,  and  aims  of  the  Na- 
tionality, in  the  course  of  which  he  extolled  the  mag- 
nanimity of  the  general  government  in  giving  to  the  eight 
states  composing  that  organization  all  the  land,  mineral 
and  agricultural,  it  possessed  within  their  borders. 

He  said:  "This  land  is  the  common  heritage  and 
property  of  all  Americans,  and  was  given  that  it  might  be 
freely  occupied  and  used  by  all  citizens  who  wish  so  to  do. 
"It  contains  nearly  every  known  mineral,  and  the 
greatest  deposits  of  gold  and  silver  on  the  North  Ameri- 
can continent,  designed  to  fill  and  swell  the  veins  and  ar- 
teries of  the  trade  and  commerce  of  the  entire  nation,  and 
the  entire  world. 

"The  gift  was  munificent,  and  was  intended  to  be 
used  in  accordance  with  the  precedent  and  the  well-known 
rules  and  regulations  then  so  far  adopted  by  all  civilized 
states.  But  unfortunately,  it  has  fallen  into  the  possession 
of  an  oligarchy  who  fence  it  round  with  such  peculiar 
regulations,  and  so  manipulate  and  control  the  occu- 


272  John  Harvey 

pancy  and  use  of  the  land  that  the  intention  of  the  gift 
has  been  perverted,  and  it  is  practically  beneficial  only 
to  themselves. 

"This  organization  aims  to  control  the  labor,  dispose 
of  the  products,  and  decide  the  destinies  of  all  those  dwell- 
ing within  its  limits.  Free  men  hesitate  to  submit  to 
such  dictation,  no  matter  how  great  the  allurements  held 
out  to  them. 

"But  the  evil  has  not  ceased  here.  The  management 
of  this  gift  by  this  oligarchy  is  further  marked  by  anti- 
republican  principles,  and  by  dangerous  practices. 

"Owning  the  source  of  supply,  it  controls  the  out- 
put of  the  money  metals  of  the  nation,  and  hoards,  or 
spends  them  at  pleasure,  causing  redundancy  or  scarcity 
as  it  wishes,  creating  an  element  of  continual  uncertainty, 
in  the  media  of  exchange. 

"It  goes  further;  it  gathers  together  and  controls 
the  surplus  products  of  a  great  territory;  those  of  the 
field,  the  quarry,  and  the  loom,  and  those  of  the  mine  and 
the  mill  and  disposes  of  them  also  at  its  pleasure,  thus  dis- 
turbing prices,  and  shaping  them  to  its  advantage,  hav- 
ing power  almost  to  create  a  famine  or  a  feast  in  the  land. 
It  is  thus  a  constant  menace  to  the  monetary  and  indus- 
trial world. 

"It  has  erected  great  cities,  adorning  them  with 
princely  buildings,  attractive  to  the  imagination,  but 
filled  largely  with  an  idle  population. 

"In  politics  the  attitudes  and  methods  of  this  organi- 
zation have  been  specially  reprehensible.  It  has  swal- 
lowed up  eight  states  of  the  Union,  and  created  a  capital, 
rivaling  that  of  the  general  government  in  extent  and 
greatness,  and  organized  another  government  therein, 
whose  legislative  and  administrative  bodies  really  dictate 
whom  these  states  should  send  as  their  representatives 
to  the  congress  of  the  United  States. 


Proceedings  in    Congress  273 

"It  preserves  only  enough  of  the  form  of  state  or- 
ganization to  comply  with  the  laws  of  the  general  govern- 
ment, while  it  violates  them  in  spirit  in  every  respect. 

"It  has  recently  made  overtures  to  certain  other 
states,  with  intent  to  swallow  them  up  also,  and  acquire 
the  Mississippi  and  Missouri  Rivers  as  its  eastern  boun- 
dary line. 

"And,  finally,  this  oligarchical  Nationality,  not  con- 
tent with  these  departures  and  deviations  from  republic- 
an government,  and  its  other  aggressions,  after  a  long 
and  arduous  contest  in  the  courts  of  t:he  land,  waged  pri- 
marily with  a  number  of  its  discontented  and  aggrieved 
citizens,  and  conducted  on  its  side  by  the  best  skilled 
jurists  it  could  employ,  refuses  to  abide  by  the  decisions 
of  these  courts  and,  as  is  now  generally  understood,  sanc- 
tions open  resistance  to  the  authority  of  the  United 
States." 

Mr.  Edmundson  called  upon  the  senators  of  the 
eight  Nationalistic  states  to  declare  if  his  assertions  were 
not  true,  and  also  to  purge  themselves  of  all  sympathy 
with  such  treasonable  practices. 

He  proceeded  at  considerable  length  to  animadvert 
upon  the  peculiar  characteristics  of  the  Nationality,  pre- 
dicting its  early  collapse,  and  appealed  to  its  citizens  to 
renew  their  loyalty  to  the  United  States,  and  to  frown 
on  such  incendiary  principles. 

He  repeatedly  accused  the  Nationality  of  being  itself 
the  primary  cause  of  the  distresses  of  the  times,  of  the 
uncertainty  of  business  and  the  want  of  confidence  mani- 
fested by  capitalists  and  investors,  and  ended  with  an 
appeal  for  firmness  and  union  in  dealing  with  these  dis- 
turbances, so  that  they  might  be  settled  on  a  lasting 
basis. 


274  John  Harvey 

He  had  hardly  taken  his  seat  when  Senator  Paul 
arose,  and  addressed  the  senate  as  follows : 

"Mr.  President,  the  officers  of  a  great  vessel,  the 
habitation  and  the  only  means  of  safety  of  hundreds  of 
human  beings,  in  the  midst  of  one  of  those  devastating 
storms  which  sometimes  sweep  the  seas,  have  great  re- 
sponsibilities cast  upon  them,  by  which  doubtless  they 
are  often  appalled,  but  which  nevertheless  they  must 
meet. 

"As  a  member  of  this  body,  responsible  for  the  lives, 
safety  and  happiness  of  one  hundred  millions  of  human 
beings  threatened  with  unknown  dangers  by  the  clouds 
of  dissension  and  civil  strife  now  impending  over  us,  I 
cannot  but  be  likewise  solicitous  in  addressing  my  fellow 
senators  and  my  fellow  countrymen,  lest  any  unwise 
word,  any  unwarranted  assumption,  any  false  premise  of 
mine,  should  misguide  reason,  should  pervert  judgment, 
and  thus  tend  to  ultimate  disaster. 

"No  less  as  a  trusted  representative  of  the  body  called 
the  Nationality,  whose  people,  ten  millions  in  number, 
have  this  day  been  assailed,  and  been  charged  with  per- 
mitting themselves  to  be  governed  by  an  oligarchical 
despotism,  am  I  solicitous  lest  by  any  weakness  of  mine, 
by  any  word  of  anger  uttered  by  me  in  reply  to  this  at- 
tack upon  a  people  Whom  I  love,  their  cause,  which  I  be- 
lieve to  be  the  cause  of  humanity,  should  be  discredited 
before  the  eyes  of  the  other  ninety  millions  of  their  fel- 
low countrymen,  or  the  way  which  they  have  chosen, 
which  I  as  firmly  believe  to  be  the  only  way  to  that 
equality  of  condition,  and  that  'honesty  of  intention  and 
honesty  of  deed,  which  mankind  have  for  ages  sought, 
should  be  obstructed,  or  obscured. 

"I  will  therefore  strive,  in  what  I  shall  now  say,  to 
be  actuated  by  motives  of  the  purest  patriotism;  but  at 
the  same  time  shall  abate  none  of  that  fearlessness  which 


Proceedings  in    Congress  275 

as  a  public  duty  strips  falsehood  of  the  thin  covering  of 
plausibility  which  it  so  often  assumes  when  it  desires  to 
masquerade  in  the  guise  of  truth. 

"There  are  differences  between  the  ten  million  peo- 
ple whom  I  and  my  colleagues  represent,  and  their  breth- 
ren in  the  other  states,  and  before  going  further  I  shall  at- 
tempt to  classify  these  differences  by  their  causes. 

"Differences  of  opinion,  differences  of  management, 
differences  of  ways  of  life,  often  exist  among  intelligent 
and  liberty  and  humanity  loving  people.  As  such  per- 
sons are  really  striving  for  the  same  ends,  their  differences 
are  not  irreconcilable,  for  they  are  not  in  regard  to  results, 
but  in  regard  to  methods. 

"There  is,  however,  another  class  of  differences  of 
which  I  cannot  speak  so  hopefully.  These  may  be  termed 
selfish,  or  specious  differences.  Their  creators  and  pro- 
moters always  try  to  hide  their  character  under  various 
disguises  of  which  the  most  common,  when  they  relate  to 
political  matters,  are  those  of  patriotism  and  philanthropy. 
These  differences,  being  selfish  in  aim,  and  false  in  the  at- 
titude they  assume,  are  irreconcilable  with  pure  motives 
and  honest  actions. 

"Between  the  people  of  the  Nationality  and  the  great 
mass  of  their  brethren  in  the  other  states  the  differences 
which  exist  to-day,  are,  I  believe,  of  the  first  class  wholly, 
being  mainly  in  respect  to  methods,  and  have  been  cre- 
ated largely  by  education  and  environment.  Both  are 
actuated  by  one  common  aim  and  feeling — the  relief  and 
elevation  of  humanity,  the  love  of  freedom  and  the  hatred 
of  tyranny  and  wrong.  In  time  of  famine,  fire,  flood  or 
pestilence  the  people  of  either  section,  if  untrammeled, 
would  hasten  to  relieve  the  other's  wants,  and  in  time 
of  war  would  sink  all  differences  and  fight  side  by  side, 
making  common  cause  against  their  country's  foes. 


276  John  Harvey 

"But  the  differences  between  the  people  of  the  Na- 
tionality, and  the  class  to  which  the  gentleman  who  has 
just  spoken  belongs,  are,  I  fear,  utterly  irreconcilable. 

"Of  the  two  hundred  and  fifty  multi-millionaires, 
the  class  to  which  the  gentleman  belongs,  the  class  which 
to-day  own  nearly  three-quarters  of  the  entire  property 
of  the  nation,  not  one  person  possesses  a  foot  of  land  or 
any  other  kind  of  property  in  the  Nationality.  Between 
that  class  and  it  there  exists  an  irrepressible  conflict 
created  and  maintained  on  the  part  of  the  former  by  self- 
interest,  on  that  of  the  latter  by  an  instinct  of  self-preser- 
vation. 

"The  Nationality  has  set  a  barrier  to  private  acquisi- 
tion, such  as  the  Almighty  has  established  against  the 
restless  ocean,  and  graven  upon  the  escarpment  of  its 
coasts,  'Thus  far  may'st  thou  come,  but  no  farther.' 

"Like  the  chafed  and  angry  sea,  this  devouring  class 
to-day  beat  the  shores  with  high-swelling  waves  and  fill 
the  air  with  the  strident  notes  of  windy  tempests,  that 
they  may  increase  the  fury  of  the  waters,  and  break  down 
the  defenses,  and  force  an  entrance  into  the  sheltered 
land. 

"The  education  and  the  environment  of  the  people 
of  the  Nationality  have  for  years  been  quite  different 
from  those  of  their  brethren  of  the  Eastern  states,  and  I 
venture  to  say  they  can  discriminate  more  closely,  and 
more  accurately,  between  the  cause  of  humanity  in  gen- 
eral, and  the  cause  of  the  millionaire. 

"The  main  points  of  difference  between  their  sys- 
tem and  others  may  be  stated  as  existing  in  the  economic 
fields  of  ownership,  production  and  use,  and  in  the  polit- 
ical one  of  form  and  character  of  government. 

"The  ownership  of  the  property  of  the  Nationality 
inheres  in  the  people,  and  is  joint  but  indivisible. 


Proceedings  in    Congress  277 

"Production  is  obtained  by  the  labor  of  all  capable 
of  labor,  in  the  arena  for  which  the  individual  is  best  fitted, 
and  can  be  most  effectively  employed,  its  amount  being 
measured  by  what  is  found  necessary  to  provide  comfort- 
ably for  all  during  life,  the  term  of  the  directed  labor  of 
the  individual  being  regulated  by  the  time  necessary  to 
secure  that  amount. 

"Equality  in  the  means  of  subsistence,  and  liberty  in 
the  manner  of  enjoying  it,  are  obtained  by  the  issuance 
to  each  citizen  of  a  like  amount  of  a  media  of  exchange, 
ample  in  quantity,  with  which  anything  produced  or 
bought  by  the  Nationality  can  be  purchased.  This  cur- 
rency, however,  has  such  power  only  during  the  year  in 
which  it  is  issued,  and  the  use,  only,  of  commodities  of  a 
permanent  character  can  be  acquired. 

"The  principles  of  the  Nationality  in  regard  to  own- 
ership, production  and  use,  which  have  been  tried  for 
twenty  years,  and  not  found  wanting,  may  then  be  thus 
briefly  summed  up:  State  ownership,  co-operation  of 
the  able  in  directed  labor  for  a  term  of  years  sufficient  for 
the  securing  of  a  comfortable  support  for  themselves,  and 
the  unable,  and  equality  in  sustenance  for  all  in  the  pres- 
ent, and  the  highest  assurance  of  its  continuance  during 
life. 

"Is  this  system  slavery?  I  ask  the  toiling  millions 
in  the  factories,  in  the  mills,  and  in  the  workshops  of  other 
states  who  labor  long  hours  for  a  scanty  support,  with 
no  assurance  for  the  future. 

"I  ask  the  other  millions  who  have  no  means  and 
no  employment,  who  would  welcome  the  most  menial 
service  to  earn  daily  bread  for  themselves  and  their  fam- 
ilies. 

"I  ask  those  who  know,  which  is  practical  slavery, 
and  it  is  not  necessary  to  wait  for  their  reply. 


278  John  Harvey 

"Does  this  system  impose  new  burdens  on  the  pro- 
ductive classes  in  providing  for  the  unable? 

"I  ask,  do  not  these  classes  in  other  states  assume 
far  greater  burdens,  in  the  support,  not  only  of  the  de- 
crepit and  the  unfortunate,  but  also  of  the  millionaire, 
the  speculator,  and  the  great  swarm  of  other  idlers  who 
are  such  from  inclination,  from  education,  from  habit,  or 
from  necessity,  and  again  it  is  not  necessary  to  wait  for 
a  reply. 

"Is  it  a  chimera? 

"Does  the  gentleman  Who  has  just  spoken,  or  his 
class,  so  charge? 

"According  to  his  statement  we  produce  too  much; 
we  obstruct  the  market. 

"He  has  referred  to  monetary  affairs.  In  regard  to 
them  the  principles  of  the  Nationality  are  simple.  It  uses 
no  money  except  in  dealing  with  other  peoples  who  live 
under  a  system  employing  it. 

"All  moneys  received  by  citizens  are  turned  into  the 
coffers  of  the  state,  to  be  used  in  such  dealings.  The 
learned  exposition  in  regard  to  money  and  kindred  sub- 
jects with  which  the  gentleman  who  has  just  spoken  has 
favored  us,  and  with  which  gentlemen  of  his  class  so 
often  favor  us,  with  which  in  fact  our  time  and  attention 
as  law-makers  is  so  largely  occupied  in  these  halls,  is  of 
no  interest  to  the  ten  million  citizens  of  the  Nationality. 
If  the  distinguished  gentleman  who  preceded  me  would 
think  worth  while  to  speak  to  my  people  about  honor 
gained  by  duty  well  performed,  about  intelligence  in- 
creased by  leisure  time  well  spent,  about  pure  motives 
and  honest  actions  in  the  public  service,  they  would  ap- 
preciate his  efforts;  but  if  he  lectured  upon  money,  banks, 
bills,  bonds  and  notes,  subjects  which  his  class  love  so 
well,  his  audience  might  consider  their  time  ill-spent. 


Proceedings  in    Congress  279 

"If  in  addition  he  described  to  them  his  princely 
mansion  on  the  Hudson,  if  he  told  them  of  his  many 
acres  and  his  many  millions,  and  of  his  many  liveried 
servants,  the  private  fortune  and  bedizened  flunkies  of  a 
public  man,  they  might  strangely  think  his  story  evidence 
that  the  gentleman  had  not  always  lived  justly  toward  his 
fellowmen. 

"In  form  the  government  of  the  Nationality  is  not 
much  different  from  those  of  the  other  states.  A  repre- 
sentative house  chosen  by  the  people,  and  an  upper  house 
composed  of  those  who  have  served  with  credit  in  the 
other,  constitute  the  legislature.  The  members  of  this 
legislature  discuss  mainly,  not  politics,  but  business  inter- 
ests; not  punishment  for  crime,  for  crime  is  light;  not  pro- 
tection of  property,  for  there  is  no  individual  property, 
but  the  common  weal,  how  to  best  assure  the  interests, 
material,  mental  and  spiritual,  of  the  people.  Bribery 
and  corruption  find  no  place  among  them,  for  the  ve- 
hicle of  corruption  is  wanting.  Once  in  two  years  they 
elect  their  representatives  to  these  halls  of  congress. 
They  do  it,  quietly  and  peacefully  at  least,  if  the  wisdom 
of  their  choice  is  not  always  apparent.  They  do  it,  hon- 
estly at  least,  and  if  they  be  ever  actuated  by  favoritism, 
it  is  not  for  me  to  deny  it.  They  do  it,  I  will  venture  to 
say,  according  to  the  principles  of  justice,  and  good  citi- 
zenship, and  the  dictates  of  their  own  conscience. 

"This  the  gentleman  who  has  just  spoken  has  de- 
nied, and  he  has  dared  to  call  upon  us,  the  chosen  repre- 
sentatives of  this  people,  to  answer  if  his  statements  be 
not  correct,  and  to  purge  ourselves  from  certain  fictions 
of  his  own  disordered  brain. 

"His  temerity  receives  from  me  this  answer:  That 
I  do  not  believe  his  statements  to  be  true,  but  that  I  do 
consider  them  of  that  mischievous  character  which  as- 


280  John    Harvey 

sumes  the  garb  of  truth  to  entrap  the  unwary  multitude, 
and  which  steals  the  livery  of  legality  in  which  to  serve 
injustice. 

"I  will  say  further,  and  I  am  glad  to  be  able  to  say 
it,  that  the  political  methods  employed  by  the  gentleman 
and  his  class  are  not  the  methods  in  use  among  the  peo- 
ple I  have  the  honor  to  represent. 

"I  will  say,  that  so  far  as  I  am  acquainted  with  the 
political  history  of  the  gentleman,  this  is  true  from  the 
inception  of  his  career  down  to  his  late  stormy  election 
at  Albany,  made  possible  only  by  the  strong  influences 
which  he  and  his  class  know  so  well  how  to  employ. 

"I  will  say  that  in  my  opinion  the  gentleman  has  will- 
fully or  ignorantly  misstated  the  question  now  before  the 
American  people,  and  has  failed  to  estimate  its  moment- 
ous importance;  that  he  has  talked  of  a  paltry  debt  when 
two  great  labor  systems  are  on  trial  before  them,  and 
speaks  of  money  owing  to  a  syndicate  of  designing  capi- 
talists, when  the  lives,  liberty  and  happiness  of  millions 
of  his  fellow  men  are  in  jeopardy. 

"His  statements  require  more  careful  digest  in  his 
own  brain  before  they  will  receive  further  attention  from 
me. 

"I  turn  from  him  and  his  class,  whom  I  believe  to  be 
in  irreconcilable  conflict  with  me  and  mine,  to  my  other 
fellow  senators,  and  to  that  great  mass  of  my  fellow 
countrymen,  who,  differing  from  us  only  by  reason  of 
education  and  environment,  seek  honestly  the  same  great 
end,  the  good  of  humanity,  and  ask  in  conclusion,  which 
of  these  two  systems  best  promotes  comfort,  happiness, 
intelligence  and  usefulness  among  mankind? 

"This  should  be  the  chief  inquiry,  and  I  address  my- 
self to  it. 

"I  tell  you,  fellow  senators  and  fellow  countrymen, 


Proceedings  i?i    Congress  281 

that  while  in  other  states,  men,  women  and  children  are 
starving,  in  the  Nationality  all  live  in  comfort;  while  in 
other  states,  care  for  the  present  and  anxiety  for  the  fu- 
ture furrow  the  brow  and  silver  the  hair  prematurely, 
these  burdens  are  rolled  from  the  shoulders  of  the  people 
of  the  Nationality;  while  in  other  states  toil  incessant, 
even  to  old  age,  gives  little  time  or  opportunity  for  the 
cultivation  of  the  mind,  among  the  people  of  the  Nation- 
ality the  short  hours  of  labor  during  active  life,  and  the 
cessation  of  compulsory  service  before  decrepitude  has 
laid  its  heavy  hand  upon  men,  give  abundant  time,  and 
the  pleasant  rural  cities,  with  their  libraries,  academies, 
schools  and  churches,  afford  abundant  opportunity  for 
the  cultivation  of  the  mind  and  higher  nature. 

"Even  that  queenly  city,  complained  of  as  the  abode 
of  an  idle  population,  is  one  of  the  most  potent  factors  in 
cultivating  and  disseminating  those  true  opinions  in  re- 
gard to  human  rights  and  human  wrongs  which  are  so 
welcome  to  the  people  and  so  hated  by  tyrants. 

"If  these  things  be  true,  and  they  are  susceptible  of 
proof,  why  assume  that  the  system  that  made  them  pos- 
sible in  the  Nationality  cannot  make  them  possible  else- 
where? Why  assume  that  its  aims  and  its  efforts  at  ex- 
tension are  anti-republican? 

"The  scope  of  true  republicanism  is  not  limited  by 
definitions,  precedents  and  arbitrary  rules  and  regula- 
tions. 

"All  that  concerns  the  safety,  the  good,  the  happi- 
ness of  humanity  is  germinal  within  it.  Its  growth  must 
be  coterminous  with  that  of  the  human  soul.  It  must 
know  no  bounds  save  those  imposed  by  wisdom,  moder- 
ation and  intelligence;  the  elements  of  the  soil  in  which 
it  thrives.  Why,  then,  assume  that  this  system,  which  for 
twenty  years  has  blessed  the  Nationality,  is  not  a  new  de- 


282  John  Harvey 

velopment  in  the  progress  of  humanity,  a  mighty  up- 
ward movement  in  the  science  of  government,  a  higher 
vantage  ground  from  which  to  unfurl  the  banner  of  free- 
dom, equality  and  fraternity? 

"Why  assume  that  it  is  to  be  handicapped,  throttled, 
or  destroyed? 

"Is  this  statesmanship?  Why  attempt  armed  entry 
into  the  territory  of  the  Nationality  to  plant  there  a  col- 
ony unfriendly  to  its  system  and  inimical  to  its  interests? 
Is  this  the  best  way  that  can  be  devised  to  settle  a  differ- 
ence with  ten  millions  of  freemen? 

"I  will  not  permit  myself  to  think  of  the  conse- 
quences of  such  an  attempt,  but  I  lift  my  warning  voice 
against  it. 

"In  concluding  I  refer  the  President  and  his  ad- 
visers to  a  story  in  an  ancient  Book,  in  whose  perusal  they 
may  find  much  profit. 

"It  is  a  tale  of  the  olden  time,  when  the  charge  was 
brought  that  certain  men  had  filled  a  Jewish  city  with 
their  doctrine,  and  stirred  up  sedition  within  it;  of  a  time 
when  these  men  were  brought  by  the  captains  and  the 
officers  before  the  council,  and  there  claimed  the  high  right 
to  obey  God  rather  than  men,  and  when  the  violent  sought 
to  slay  them.  There  then  stood  up  in  that  council  a 
doctor  of  the  law,  a  fearless  man,  and  I  think  a  wiser 
man  than  many  of  the  present  doctors,  and  he  said :  'Ye 
men  of  Israel,  take  heed  what  ye  intend  to  do  touching 
these  men,  and  let  them  alone,  for  if  this  work  be  of  men 
it  will  come  to  naught,  but  if  it  be  of  God  ye  cannot  over- 
throw it,  lest  haply  ye  be  found  to  fight  against  God.' ': 

These  speeches  were  listened  to  with  great  attention, 
and  were  characterized  as  sound  or  unsound,  as  patriotic 
or  factional,  largely  as  they  accorded  with  the  individual 
views  of  their  critics. 


Proceedings  in    Congress  283 

Both  were  published  throughout  the  country,  and 
while  in  the  senate  few  members  were  influenced  perma- 
nently by  the  speech  of  John  Paul,  yet  among  the  think- 
ing and  discriminating  class  in  Washington  it  had  a  great 
effect,  and  would  undoubtedly  have  still  greater  in  other 
portions  of  the  United  States. 

I  wrote  to  Mr.  Beyresen  and  also  to  Clothilde,  de- 
scribing the  scenes  which  I  witnessed,  and  received  in  re- 
turn letters  from  them  giving  accounts  of  proceedings 
in  the  Nationality. 

From  these  I  was  satisfied  that  steps  were  being 
taken  to  oppose  a  most  determined  resistance  to  any  at- 
tempt at  coercion. 

The  letters  were  guarded  in  language,  but  gave  me 
information  of  frequent  and  enthusiastic  meetings  among 
the  people,  and  of  constant  drills  ordered  and  controlled 
by  the  directors  of  labor. 

I  recognized  that  the  country  was  fast  getting  into 
that  condition  when  any  unfortunate  movement,  any  in- 
judicious act,  might  precipitate  a  collision  which  good 
men  universally  would  deplore. 

I  learned  from  various  sources  that  all  shipments  of 
bread  stuffs,  meats  and  other  provisions  from  the  Na- 
tionality to  the  Eastern  states  had  ceased,  and  that  these 
were  being  stored  up  to  meet  the  exigencies  of  the  times 
and  the  possible  wants  of  their  own  people.  As  an  im- 
mense amount  of  such  goods  was  yearly  exported,  the 
prices  of  all  these  commodities  had  already  been  en- 
hanced, and  the  Nationality  seemed,  indeed/in  the  lan- 
guage of  Mr.  Edmundson,  to  be  able  almost  to  create 
a  famine. 

The  government  had,  a  month  since,  quietly  sent 
orders  to  the  navy  yards  on  the  Mississippi  and  to  several 
individual  firms  in  the  large  cities  on  the  great  streams 


284  John  Harvey 

tributary  to  that  river,  to  fit  out  with  as  much  dispatch 
and  secrecy  as  possible,  a  fleet  of  gunboats,  able  to  navi- 
gate and  control  these  waters. 

Its  army,  numbering  about  one  hundred  thousand 
men,  had  been  massed  as  far  as  practicable  in  such  posi- 
tion as  would  enable  them  to  concentrate  with  rapidity 
on  the  borders  of  the  Nationality  near  the  disputed  town- 
ships, and  the  officers  could  be  seen  daily  parading  the 
streets  of  Washington,  and  gave  them  quite  a  warlike 
appearance. 

No  one  among  my  correspondents  seemed  more 
deeply  to  deplore  the  condition  of  affairs  than  did  Clo- 
thilde  Beyresen.  Her  letters,  while  breathing  the  most 
patriotic  spirit,  were  filled  with  reflections  on  the  awful 
character  of  war,  and  the  suffering  and  bloodshed  attend- 
ant upon  it.  It  seemed  to  me  strange  that  so  young  a 
girl,  living  in  so  peaceful  a  community,  should  be  so  fully 
alive  to  the  miseries  which  would  necessarily  attend  such 
strife.  Her  letters  to  me  now  were  frequent,  and  had 
changed  in  character. 

She  appeared  often  to  be  solicitous  for  my  safety 
and  anxious  for  my  return.  This  she  did  not  attempt  to 
conceal  and  I  knew  not  whether  to  regard  it  as  evidence 
of  mere  friendly  interest,  or  something  more  pleasing  to 
myself. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

PHILIP    ORAM. 

It  was  now  the  ioth  of  November,  and  some  time 
had  elapsed  since  the  delivery  of  the  speeches  from  which 
I  have  quoted. 

Other  debates  had  followed  in  both  houses  of  Con- 
gress, but  approach  to  a  settlement  of  the  controversy 
seemed  as  remote  as  ever.  Speeches  had  been  made  on 
both  sides  of  the  question  in  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives, where  a  much  more  equal  division  of  opinion  ex- 
isted than  in  the  Senate. 

Some  time  previous  it  had  been  announced  that  on 
the  nth  of  November  Philip  Oram  would  address  the 
House,  and  my  desire  to  hear  him  had  induced  me  to  de- 
fer my  return  to  Neuropolis  till  after  that  date. 

On  the  morning  of  the  nth,  some  hours  before  the 
time  of  the  meeting,  the  great  Hall  of  Representatives 
began  to  fill,  and  by  noon  it  was  densely  packed  with  a 
most  unusual  audience. 

A  large  number  of  ladies  were  in  attendance;  the 
diplomatic  and  consular  representatives  were  in  their 
places;  but  all  the  rest  of  the  house,  its  galleries,  aisles, 
and  every  available  space,  was  occupied  by  men,  hard- 
handed  and  rugged-featured,  strong  and  sturdy  in  figure, 
and  resolute  in  appearance;  who,  though  comfortably  and 
neatly  clothed,  were  very  unlike  the  daintily  clad  audience 
that  filled  the  hall  on  other  occasions  when  a  great  and 
stirring  speech  was  expected. 

*85 


286  John  Harvey 

As  I  looked  over  the  assemblage,  I  saw  at  once  that 
the  city  of  Washington  had  never  furnished  this  audience, 
and  on  inquiry  found  that  the  labor  unions  all  over  the 
land  had  sent  their  leaders  and  select  men  to  hear  the 
great  orator,  who  had  been  taunted  in  this  very  place 
with  being  their  adviser,  and  even  their  chief. 

The  name  of  Oram,  often  repeated  among  this  multi- 
tude and  the  fact  that  some  days  previous,  threats  had 
been  made  that  he  would  not  be  allowed  to  proceed  were 
his  language  considered  incendiary,  led  me  to  the  belief 
that  he  stood  under  the  aegis  of  a  power  that  would  tol- 
erate no  such  interruption,  and  which  was  so  mighty 
that  it  would  finally  prove  a  most  potent  factor  in  deciding 
the  controversy. 

When  Philip  Oram  rose  to  speak,  no  applause,  or 
sound  of  welcome,  broke  from  the  lips  of  any  of  these 
men,  who  probably  for  the  first  time  dominated  in  this 
hall;  but  they  all  listened  with  breathless  attention  to  his 
every  word. 

He  said:  "Mr.  Speaker:  I  believe  God  to  be  the 
Creator  of  the  universe  and  the  Ruler  over  the  affairs  of 
men.  I  believe  He  governs  by  certain  laws,  very  univer- 
sal in  their  application,  and  which,  therefore,  can  be  dis- 
covered. 

"In  the  formation  of  the  globe  both  science  and  Reve- 
lation teach  us  that  distinct  successive  steps  marked  the 
ascending  scale  by  which  the  Supreme  Architect  oper- 
ated, from  the  time  when  the  earth  was  without  form  and 
void  and  darkness  brooded  upon  the  face  of  the  waters, 
until  that  moment  when,  carpeted  in  perennial  green, 
adorned  with  banks  of  flowers  reflected  in  the  silvery 
sheen  of  pure  sun-kissed  waters,  and  curtained  by  light, 
fleecy  clouds,  it  was  prepared  a  fit  home  for  the  human 
race. 


Philip    Oram  287 

"We  are  informed  that  this  wonderful  creation,  and 
all  this  beauty,  adornment,  and  preparation  were  not 
fashioned  at  once  by  the  fiat  of  omnipotence;  but  that 
for  age  after  age  God  was  content  to  see  creation  after 
creation,  type  after  type,  suited  to  ever-varying  condi- 
tions, and  governed  by  laws  adapted  to  them,  begin,  cul- 
minate, and  end,  until  in  the  progress  of  time  the  earth 
was  ready  for  man. 

"Then  our  race  came  into  existence,  and  being  en- 
dowed with  reasoning  faculties,  seems  in  many  things  to 
have  been  left  to  work  out  its  own  destiny. 

"The  great  law  of  ascending  cycles  was  not  altered ; 
but  its  operation  was  modified  by  the  fact  that  mankind 
possessed  minds  and  souls  to  be  exercised,  trained  and 
developed,  by  dealing  with  the  problems  surrounding 
them. 

"Principal  among  these  were  those  economic  ques- 
tions which  relate  to  the  possession,  ownership,  and  use 
of  the  heritage  God  had  given  us.  These  being  at  the 
very  basis  of  all  civilization,  and  the  parents  of  all  social 
and  political  questions,  have  formed  fruitful  subjects  of 
discussion,  agreement,  and  disagreement  in  all  ages. 

"Let  me  refer  briefly  to  the  varying  methods  of  deal- 
ing with  these  problems  from  their  inception  down  to  the 
present  time. 

"It  has  been  said  that  in  a  state  of  nature  every  man 
had  a  right  to  the  ownership  and  use  of  whatever  he  pro- 
duced, or  brought  into  his  possession. 

"That  state,  however,  and  the  rights  thus  defined 
never  existed.  The  moment  a  second  human  being  came 
into  the  world,  other  rights  began,  having  their  founda- 
tion, not  in  the  organization  of  society,  but  in  the  nobler 
law  of  moral  obligation. 

"Man  then  became  in  large  measure  his  brother's 


288  John  Harvey 

keeper,  and  though,  like  Cain,  he  disavowed  the  responsi- 
bility, yet  by  so  doing  he  has  shared  through  his  long 
succeeding  history  much  the  same  divinely  appointed 
punishment. 

"In  the  early  ages,  as  society  became  more  fully  or- 
ganized, other  claims,  more  artificial  in  character,  were 
put  forth  for  the  ownership  and  use  of  a  part  of  its  pro- 
duction. 

"The  ruling  power,  or  the  government,  claimed  a 
portion  for  the  maintenance  of  the  officers  necessary  for 
discharging  its  duties;  and  very  soon  this  claim,  equitable 
in  itself,  was  perverted  by  these  officers  into  the  appro- 
priation of  unequal  and  unjust  proportions  for  their  own 
benefit. 

"Then  speedily  other  exactions  followed. 

"The  powerful  demanded  tribute  and  obtained  it  by 
force;  the  shrewd,  the  cunning,  the  designing,  and  a  host 
of  others  acquired  by  the  use  of  their  respective  arts  an 
unequal  and  unjust  share;  and  being  the  lawmakers,  es- 
tablished a  quasi  legal  character  for  their  aggressions. 

"Mankind  soon  became  divided  into  two  great 
classes:  Those  who  by  honest  toil  and  effort  contributed 
to  production,  and  those  whose  energies  were  directed 
to  obtaining  possession,  or  control,  of  that  production. 

"The  latter  class,  though  numerically  the  smaller,  by 
their  superior  organization,  their  systematic  efforts,  and 
their  control  of  legislation,  so  degraded  labor  that  the 
tiller  of  the  soil,  and  the  tender  of  flocks  and  herds, 
were  for  a  long  time  designated  as  villeins  and  serfs,  and 
sold  with  the  land ;  and  during  that  time  it  was  considered 
disgraceful  to  be  engaged  in  such  occupations. 

"As  the  era  of  force,  however,  became  somewhat 
spent,  the  laborers,  from  among  whom  the  bone,  brain 
and  sinew  of  the  land  have  always  been  recruited :  despite 


Philip   Oram  289 

the  indignities,  disadvantages  and  miseries  heaped  upon 
and  surrounding  them,  became  more  numerous  and  more 
prosperous. 

"Then  cunning,  intrigue,  and  statecraft  began  in 
earnest  the  work  of  despoliation.    Designing  men  foment- 
ed division  among  the  laboring  classes;  they  contrived  a 
thousand  inventions  to  maintain  superiority;  they  insti- 
tuted aristocracy;  they  established  standing  armies;  they 
increased  taxation,  and  passed  iniquitous  laws;  they  per- 
verted money  from  its  legitimate  use  as  a  mere  measure 
of  value,  and  made  it  interest  bearing;  they  created  a  sys- 
tem of  bonds,  notes,  'bills,  and  other  evidences  of  indebt- 
edness, also  interest  bearing,  and  payable  in  money.    As 
they  grew  more  daring  and  skillful,  they  manipulated  this 
money  so  that  it  became  scarcer,  and  the  indebtedness 
more  difficult  to  discharge. 

'Thus  increasingly  the  members  of  the  unproductive 
class  of  mankind  gained  control  of  all  property;  the 
drones  obtained  possession  of  the  hive  of  industry;  and 
to-day  a  few  nonproducers  regulate  the  media  of  ex- 
change, and  fix  the  price  of  all  production. 

"The  nineteenth  century  was  distinguished  for  its 
wonderful  discoveries  and  inventions.  Great  bodies  of 
coal,  oil  and  gas,  and  immense  deposits  of  valuable  met- 
als, were  found  in  the  earth's  bosom;  and  better  and 
cheaper  methods  of  utilizing  these  were  devised  The 
agencies  of  steam  and  electricity  were  developed,  and  the 
power  of  machinery  was  wonderfully  increased. 

"These  inventions  and  discoveries  furnished  means 
adequate  to  perform  the  work,  supply  the  wants,  and 
mitigate  the  toil  of  millions  of  the  human  race. 

"But  no  such  happy  results  were  accomplished  They 
were  seized  upon  by  the  controlling  class,  and  employed 
for  their  particular  advantage.  They  became  in  the 
hands  of  that  class  means  to  make  them  more  autocratic 


290  John  Harvey 

A  horde  of  applicants  clamored  for  work,  to  whom  they 
could  dictate  terms.  They  required  still  longer  hours  of 
labor  for  still  smaller  pay;  and  an  increased  production, 
whose  profits  stored  up  in  the  vaults  of  the  rich,  begat 
the  community  of  millionaires  who  now  possess  the  land, 
while  distress  and  want,  like  gaunt  spectres,  stalk  amid  its 
shadows. 

"Meanwhile  this  system  has  been  so  buttressed  by 
various  so-called  axioms,  that  have  from  time  to  time 
been  sapiently  enunciated  by  its  apostles,  and  its  enor- 
mities have  been  so  concealed  by  the  murky  atmosphere 
of  countless  volumes  of  jurisprudence  enacted  to  regu- 
late it,  that  not  until  lately  have  the  people  begun  to  ques- 
tion the  absolute  truth  of  the  former,  or  the  infallible  wis- 
dom of  the  latter. 

"They  have  been  told  that  the  rights  of  owners  in 
property  are  sacred  as  denned  by  the  courts,  and  that  be- 
yond their  judgment  no  one  might  inquire  how  that  prop- 
erty was  obtained. 

"They  have  been  told  that  our  credit,  national  and 
individual,  must  be  maintained  inviolate,  and  that  debts 
incurred  by  either  nation,  or  individual,  must  be  paid  in 
the  currency  of  the  land,  no  matter  how  much  that  cur- 
rency be  reduced  in  quantity,  or  debt-paying  power,  and 
no  matter  how  the  debts  were  contracted. 

"They  have  been  told  that  their  share  in  the  ad- 
vantages arising  from  the  discovery  of  new  material  and 
forces  in  nature,  and  the  invention  of  improved  machin- 
ery, is  to  be  found  in  reduced  prices  of  goods,  despite  the 
fact  that  their  decreased  wages  leave  them  scant  money 
with  which  to  make  purchases. 

"They  have  been  told  that  the  demand  for  labor,  and 
its  supply,  regulate  its  price  infallibly  by  natural  law. 

"They  have  been  told  that  capital  is  stored  up  labor, 


Philip   Oram  291 

ignoring  the  fact  that  it  has  been  largely  created  by  legis- 
lation and  accumulated  interest. 

'They  have  been  told  that  under  the  present  system 
humanity  has  made  all  its  advancement;  they  have  been 
told  this  is  the  best  system  human  ingenuity  can  devise. 

They  have  been  told  these  half  truths,  solemnly  and 
oracularly;  by  men  who  knew  their  falsity,  but  were  in- 
terested in  upholding  them  as  truth,  and  by  others  who 
were  themselves  deceived  and  thought  them  to  be  true. 

"The  people  have  been  told  these  things,  and  for 
long  years  they  have  believed,  or  tried  to  believe  them. 

"Mankind,  however,  have  grown  in  moral  and  men- 
tal perception. 

"Sophistries  gilded  with  truth,  and  false  statements 
cast  in  its  epigrammatic  mould,  have  no  longer  the  old 
acceptance  among  them.  They  no  longer  adopt  the  con- 
clusions of  others  unchallenged;  they  now  thiru<  for 
themselves. 

"Two  hundred  and  fifty  persons  to-day  possess  al- 
most the  entire  property  of  the  nation,  and  dictate  its 
laws  and  control  its  production.  In  their  madness  and 
their  lust  of  greed  they  have  alienated  from  themselves 
all  classes  of  society,  and  engendered  an  instinct  of  self- 
preservation  in  the  whole  body  politic. 

"The  people  are  now  ready  to  act,  and,  thank  God, 
patriotic  leaders  are  at  hand;  men  of  strong  will,  stout 
hearts,  and  iron  hands,  yea,  such  as  stand  within  this  hall 
to-day. 

"Thanks  be  to  Him,  that  another  of  His  divinely  or- 
dained cycles  of  human  progression  has  begun,  in  which 
the  brotherhood  of  man  is  to  be  recognized;  and  in  which 
the  earth  is  to  be  delivered  over  from  the  possession  of 
the  few,  and  used  for  the  benefit  of  all. 

"To-day,  fellow   Representatives,  two    great    labor 


292  John  Harvey 

systems,  founded  on  opposite  principles  confront  each 
other,  claiming  this  broad  land. 

"The  one  I  have  already  described.  Tt  is  hoary  with 
age,  overgrown  with  parasites  and  surrounded  with  effete 
and  baneful  traditions,  rules  and  regulations. 

"Its  logic  has  been  individual  competition,  and  the 
extinction  of  the  weak,  the  helpless,  and  the  unfortunate. 
"Experience  proves  that  a  civilization  founded  upon 
a  violation  of  moral  rights  can  only  be  ephemeral  in  ex- 
istence, and  unsatisfactory  in  results. 

"To  understand  the  other  system,  the  one  on  which 
the  civilization  of  my  own  people  is  founded,  we  must 
return  again  to  the  fundamental  principle  that  the  earth 
is  the  Lord's,  given  to  mankind  for  their  use  under  certain 
moral  and  equitable  laws  regarding  that  use,  the  violation 
of  which  ensures  the  failure  of  any  civilization,  as  cer- 
tainly as  their  observance  will  secure  the  perpetuity  of 
another. 

"We  must  return  again  to  the  moment  when  mu- 
tual rights  in  ownership,  possession  and  use,  sprang  up 
between  different  members  of  the  human  family;  to  the 
moment  when  man  came  to  the  adjustment  of  these  rights 
with  his  fellow  man. 

"In  order  to  understand  these  rights  clearly,  with- 
out entanglement  in  the  network  of  intricacies  and  soph- 
istries which  the  old  system  has  woven  around  them, 
I  will  resort  to  a  simple  illustration. 

"Ten  men  landed  on  an  island  in  midocean,  having 
with  them  seeds  and  necessary  implements  for  the  plant- 
ing and  tilling  of  the  earth.  One  was  hopelessly  a  cripple, 
one  was  old  and  feeble  and  unable  to  work,  the  rest  va- 
ried in  degrees  of  strength.  The  island  contained  one 
hundred  acres  of  arable  land,  and  the  able-bodied  men 
each  cultivated  a  portion  of  this  soil ;  some  with  abundant 


Philip    Oram  293 

return,  others  with  scanty  success,  and  two  with  none  at 
all. 

"What,  then,  were  their  moral  rights  in  the  distribu- 
tion of  the  production?  What  was  the  measure  to  be 
used?  Was  it  success  in  their  respective  fields  of  labor? 
Was  it  even  the  individual  amount  of  that  labor? 

"I  trow  not.  I  believe  that  in  the  minds  of  intelli- 
gent and  unprejudiced  judges  it  would  be  considered 
that  all,  the  successful  and  the  unsuccessful,  the  cripple 
and  the  old  and  feeble,  should  share  equally. 

"I  will  go  a  step  further  and  suppose  that  one  man 
was  morose  and  refused  to  work.  Should  he  then  be 
allowed  to  starve? 

"Again  I  trow  not.  He  should  have,  not  an  equal 
share,  but  sufficient  to  sustain  life,  and  by  this  difference 
and  by  the  example  and  the  moral  force  of  the  others 
should  be  compelled  to  be  industrious. 

"I  desire  thus  to  illustrate  the  fundamental  prin- 
ciples violated  in  the  very  beginning  of  the  old  system, 
and  upon  which  the  new  rests. 

"They  may  be  thus  expressed :  that  all  exerting  their 
capabilities  for  production,  with  those  incapable,  must 
share  equally  in  the  result,  and  that  those  able  but  will- 
fully refusing  to  exert  their  capabilities  must  be  compelled 
to  do  so  by  such  means  as  may  be  found  most  advisable, 
but  must  be  supported  in  life. 

"These  are  the  principles  for  which  the  civilized 
world,  crowded  to-day  like  the  supposed  island,  hungers. 
These  are  the  principles  which  recognize  the  right  of  any 
individual  to  demand  of  society  a  place  to  work  accord- 
ing to  his  ability,  and  a  share  of  the  joint  production  equal 
to  any  other.  These  are  the  principles  which  insist  upon 
the  right  of  the  helpless  and  feeble  also  to  an  equal  share 
in  that  production;  the  principles  which  acknowledge 


294  John  Harvey 

the  duty  of  society  to  preserve  the  idle  from  starvation 
and  to  enforce  industrious  habits  upon  them. 

"These  principles  must  be  expounded  intelligently, 
carried  into  practice  carefully  and  guarded  by  such  regu- 
lations as  are  necessary  to  prevent  them  from  being  per- 
verted by  designing  and  cunning  men.  They  must  be 
extended  wisely,  lest  the  new  system  founded  upon  them 
be  shipwrecked  by  collision  with  the  debris  and  derelicts 
of  the  old. 

"These  principles  of  equality  are  recognized  in  my 
own  land  as  extending  into  the  mental,  moral  and  spirit- 
ual worlds,  as  far  as  opportunity  is  concerned;  the  results 
depending  on  unseen  and  hidden  forces,  being  individual 
and  often  not  fully  known. 

"To  ensure  the  continuation  of  this  equality,  private 
ownership  must  cease,  and  society,  or  the  state,  must 
hold  all  property  in  trust  for  the  people.  Debt  and  its 
evidences,  interest,  individual  accumulation  by  descent, 
grant,  purchase,  or  in  any  other  way  must  cease,  and  all 
the  machinery  of  the  old  system  concerning  it  must  be 
abandoned. 

"Society,  or  the  State,  must  control  labor  and  pro- 
duction, and  unite  its  citizens  in  a  common  effort  to  ob- 
tain the  best  possible  livelihood  for  all,  and  to  furnish 
equal  opportunities  for  higher  improvement. 

"The  great  storehouses  of  Nature,  her  mighty  ener- 
gies, and  the  wondrous  capabilities  of  machinery,  must 
be  used  to  full  advantage,  but  to  lessen  the  toil  of  the 
masses,  not  to  increase  and  perpetuate  it. 

"It  must  be  understood  that  the  happiness  and  the 
growth  of  mankind  toward  the  full  stature  of  manhood, 
not  mere  material  riches ;  that  mental,  moral  and  spiritual 
advancement,  not  mere  sensual  pleasures,  are  to  be  the 
worthy  objects  of  the  ambition  of  the  future.     Such  is 


Philip   Oram  295 

the  high  ideal  of  the  new  system,  such  are  the  principles 
upon  which  it  is  based. 

''Certain  objections  have  been  made  to  it,  many  of 
which  are  too  trivial  for  -notice,  and  all  of  which  come 
with  poor  grace  from  the  advocates  of  the  old  system 
fraught  with  so  many  and  such  glaring  wrongs.  A  few 
of  the  more  plausible  of  these  I  will,  however,  briefly  no- 
tice. 

"It  is  alleged  that  in  the  new  system  enormous  re- 
sponsibility is  cast  upon  the  government  in  ordering  and 
regulating  labor,  and  distributing  its  proceeds. 

''I  answer  that  the  responsibility  of  doing  this  always 
has  devolved  upon,  and  to  a  certain  extent  been  accepted 
by  government,  and  that  under  the  old  system  it  has  been 
most  imperfectly  performed.  Under  that  system  govern- 
ment delegates  this  duty  to  individuals,  and  consumes 
its  time  and  wastes  its  energies  in  making,  remaking 
and  amending  laws  to  control  them  in  its  performance, 
and  in  defining  the  transgressions  thereof,  while  the  in- 
jured suffer,  or  die.  Instead  of  employing  these  individ- 
uals as  its  agents  to  accomplish  this  work  it  allows  them 
to  do  it  for  themselves,  surrounded  by  temptations,  and 
inanely  strives  to  prescribe  punishment  sufficient  to  pre- 
vent the  yielding  to  them.  In  plain  words,  Gentlemen, 
government  under  the  old  system,  by  machinery  and 
means  as  illogical,  cumbrous  and  unfitted  for  the  pur- 
pose as  could  be  imagined,  attempts  to  do  the  very  work 
which  it  is  alleged  it  could  not  perform  untrammeled. 

"Ah!  Gentlemen  of  this  House,  a  decade  hence,  you 
and  I,  if  here,  will  under  the  new  system  perform  our 
work  in  a  very  different  spirit  and  in  a  very  different 
manner  from  that  of  to-day.  Instead  of  being  occupied 
mainly  in  providing  for  the  protection  of  property  and 
the  rights  of  its  individual  owners,  we  shall  be  busy  in 


296  John  Harvey 

estimating  the  production  necessary  for  the  maintenance 
of  the  people,  and  in  determining  where  the  various  items 
composing  it  can  best  be  grown,  or  manufactured,  and 
in  issuing  the  proper  orders  therefor. 

"Instead  of  spending  our  time  in  defining  a  long  list 
of  criminal  offenses,  we  shall,  when  the  love  of  money, 
the  great  temptation  to  crime,  is  removed,  be  employed 
in  perfecting  the  means  for  distributing  this  production 
equally,  and  in  devising  ways  for  that  improvement  of 
the  masses  socially,  morally  and  mentally,  made  possible 
by  the  shortening  of  their  hours  of  toil  for  material 
things.  And  instead  of  being  ourselves  engrossed  in  po- 
litical schemes,  embarrassed  by  the  solicitation  of  cor- 
porations, lobbied  by  interested  parties,  and  tempted  by  a 
thousand  allurements,  nearly  all  presented  by  the  Money 
Power,  we  shall  be  aided  by  the  counsels  of  the  wisest 
of  the  land;  we  shall  be  actuated  by  true  patriotism  and 
love  of  humanity,  and  be  able  to  perform  our  duties  in- 
dependently, and  as  the  best  interests  of  the  nation  de- 
mand. 

"God  grant,  that  in  the  future  the  members  of  this 
House  may  be  delivered  from  the  snares,  intrigues,  and 
pitfalls  that  have  so  long  beset  them,  and  may  be  true 
to  themselves,  true  to  the  interests  of  the  people,  and  true 
to  the  principles  which  conserve  them. 

"It  has  been  alleged  that  under  the  new  system  a 
uniform  and  monotonous  level  of  human  action  will  oc- 
cur, caused  by  the  removal  of  the  great  incentive  to  enter- 
prise, the  love  of  reward  and  hope  of  accumulation.  I 
have  stated  the  objection  in  the  form  in  which  it  is  gener- 
ally put  forward  and  which  is  as  usual  deceptive  and  er- 
roneous. It  is  so  because  the  only  incentive  to  action,  re- 
moved by  the  new  system,  is  not  the  love  of  reward,  but 


Philip    Oram  297 

the  love  of  material  possessions  in  excess  of  the  material 
possessions  of  others. 

"Few  will  have  the  hardihood  to  assert  that  this  lat- 
ter motive  is  worthy.  Who  will  deny  that  the  love  of 
riches  is  miserly,  or  that  the  procuring  of  honor,  or  pre- 
ferment by  their  use  is  other  than  a  mere  subornation, 
to  be  punished  by  the  State  and  frowned  upon  by  every 
good  citizen? 

"The  real  object  of  the  masses  of  mankind  in  striving 
for  accumulation  is  to  secure  that  certainty  of  provision 
for  themselves  and  families  which  the  possession  of 
money,  or  property,  assumes  to  give. 

"Under  the  new  system  the  first  mentioned  motive 
is  destroyed,  and  the  latter  is  attained  with  more  cer- 
tainty, and  by  juster  means.  Under  its  operation  the  per- 
formance of  duty  is  the  source  of  honor  and  preferment, 
and  the  latter  cannot  be  bought  and  sold.  Under  that 
system  all  the  higher  ambitions,  love  of  country,  love  of 
humanity,  love  of  approbation,  love  of  good  conscience, 
are  made  incentives  to  the  proper  performance  of  duty. 

"With  the  stimulation  of  these  high  motives  for  exer- 
tion no  dead  plane  of  uniformity,  no  listless  idleness,  are 
possible,  but  like  a  pure  elixir  of  life,  these  motives  will 
cause  the  blood  of  the  body  politic  to  circulate  more  rap- 
idly, and  stir  all  its  members  to  renewed  activity. 

"It  has  been  alleged  that  under  the  new  system  of 
equal  material  compensation,  and  of  directed  labor,  man- 
kind will  finally  become  dependent,  nerveless  workers. 

"I  have  no  such  fear.  Under  that  system,  if  for  some 
years  labor  is  directed  will  it  be  the  less  efficient? 

"The  manner  in  which  it  is  now  performed  under  the 
old  system  negatives  such  assumption. 

"Will  it  be  less  forceful,  less  energetic,  if  directed  for 


298  John  Harvey 

the  common  weal,  than  if  by  and  for  the  benefit  of  a  few 
men  as  at  present? 

"The  allegation  shows  but  little  knowledge  of  the 
character  and  wants  of  humanity. 

"In  fact,  mankind  love  employment,  if  it  be  made 
honoiable  and  pleasant,  if  it  be  intelligently  directed  and 
be  not  excessive. 

'Has  any  one  the  right  to  assume  that  service,  prob- 
ably of  a  much  higher  character  than  that  rendered  at 
present,  will  not  be  voluntarily  continued  under  the  new 
system  long  after  the  years  of  compulsory  labor  have 
ceased? 

"Are  material  wants  the  only  wants?  Are  mankind 
always  to  be  mere  drudges?  Is  there  to  be  no  time  for 
intellectual,  moral  and  spiritual  education  among  the 
masses?  Has  any  one  ground  for  the  assumption  that  if 
the  time  and  opportunity  are  given,  these  higher  facul- 
ties will  not  be  correspondingly  developed? 

"Aristotle,  Euclid,  Galileo,  Newton,  Shakspeare, 
Franklin,  Edison,  Lincoln,  all  sprang  from  the  common 
people,  out  of  the  fogs  and  cloud  banks  of  the  old  system, 
and  their  worthy  successors  will  come  from  the  same 
source  under  the  bright  sunlight  of  the  new. 

"It  is  useless  to  pursue  these  objections  further;  they 
have  no  foundation. 

"Fellow  members  of  this  House,  I  do  not  for  a  mo- 
ment imagine  that  this  new  system  can  attain  full  fruition 
at  once. 

"It  must  have  time  to  mature;  thoughtful  men  must 
regulate  the  methods  of  its  progression;  kind  hands  must 
tend  it;  wisdom  and  experience  must  decide  upon  many 
questions  of  fitness  and  expediency. 

"Its  fundamental  principles,  however,  must  remain 
unchanged.    In  the  land  wherein  I  dwell,  ten  million  free- 


Philip   Oram  299 

men  live  in  peace,  plenty  and  security  under  its  protection. 

"They  have  redeemed  that  land  from  primitive  wild- 
ness  and  made  it  to  blossom  as  the  rose. 

"In  the  beginning,  however,  they  were  obliged  to 
expel  certain  unworthy  members,  and  cunning  and  crafty 
men  are  now  endeavoring  by  taking  advantage  of  that 
action  to  destroy  the  very  foundation  of  the  civilization 
of  my  land. 

"This  cannot  be  done;  I  repeat  it — this  cannot  be 
done.  A  million  freemen  on  the  plains  and  among  the 
mountains  of  that  land  say  that  this  cannot  be  done,  and 
other  millions  in  your  own  states  join  them  in  the  fiat. 

"These  two  system  must  be  fairly  judged  upon  their 
merits.  Constitutional  amendment,  and  legislative  en- 
actment must  provide  legal  ways  by  which  the  people 
of  this  Union,  or  any  portion  of  it,  may  adopt  the  new 
system  if  they  choose. 

"The  nature  of  these  provisions  remains  yet  unde- 
termined, and  this  affords  field  for  the  display  of  true 
statesmanship  among  us. 

"God  grant  us  wisdom  to  devise  these  means,  pa- 
triotism to  adopt  them,  and  high  prudence  to  carry  them 
into  effect. 

"The  mutterings  of  selfish  ambition  and  the  threats 
of  the  partisans  of  the  Money  Power  are  heard  distinctly 
throughout  the  land.  I  am  told  that  he  who  temporarily 
controls  the  government  of  this  nation,  regards  the  point 
in  issue  as  simply  the  collection  of  a  debt.  I  am  told  that 
the  army  is  massed  near  the  borders  of  the  land  in  which 
I  dwell,  and  the  navy  yards  on  the  Mississippi  are  busy. 
What  means  this  display  of  force?  Does  he  who  com- 
mands it  think  for  a  moment  that  the  men  who  redeemed 
that  land,  that  the  men  who  love  it,  that  the  men  who 
would  die  ;'  .'  it,  will  permit  its  invasion? 


300  John  Harvey 

"Already  to  meet  the  exigencies  threatened  by  this 
action  the  rich  products  of  that  land  are  withheld  from 
the  market,  and  the  people  of  other  states  suffer.  Al- 
ready the  treasure  of  that  land  is  withdrawn  for  a  similar 
purpose,  and  the  autocrat,  Gold,  is  in  mourning. 

"When  the  flimsy  mask  that  veils  the  designs  of  the 
Money  Power  is  rended  asunder,  what  will  then  be  dis- 
closed? I  prophesy  that  it  will  be  some  scheme  for  the 
perpetuation  of  that  power  by  defrauding  the  people  of 
choice.  It  may  be  invasion  with  the  intent  to  overthrow 
and  destroy  the  new  system.  If  so,  the  attempt  will  be 
futile.  It  may  be  that  the  eyes  of  disunion  will  at  last 
flash  out  from  under  the  mask.  If  so,  the  tramp  of  a 
million  men  will  at  once  be  heard  in  the  land  where  I 
dwell,  marching  to  join  the  millions  of  the  other  states 
to  close  those  eyes  forever  in  the  sleep  of  death. 

"This  battle  will  be  fought  out  in  this  Union.  It  will 
be  fought  out  fairly.  It  will  be  fought  upon  the  merits 
of  the  two  systems,  the  people  themselves  being  the 
judges. 

"I  have  no  doubt  of  the  result.  I  have  no  doubt  that 
the  new  cycle  will  move  forward  no  matter  who  strive 
to  obstruct  it — ■ 

"The  new  age  stands  as  yet, 
Half  built  against  the  sky, 
Open  to  every  threat 

Of  storms  that  clamor  by; 
Scaffolding  veils  the  walls, 
And  dim  dust  floats  and  falls, 
But  moving  to  and  fro, 
Their  task  the  builders  ply." 
"Fellow  members  of  this  House,   upon  our  action 
rests  largely  the  manner  of  the  termination  of  this  contro- 
versy. 


Philip   Oram  301 

"I  have  indicated  the  means  necessary  to  discharge 
our  responsibility  aright.  They  are  not  found  in  threats 
and  warlike  demonstrations,  but  in  recognition  of  the 
rights  of  the  people,  and  honest  preparation  for  their 
conservation. 

"If  the  present  be  a  time  to  turn  deaf  ears  to  the 
groans  of  the  masses;  if  it  be  a  moment  to  prepare 
stronger  shackles  for  them,  then  indeed  your  countenance 
may  be  given  to  the  measures  already  taken;  but  if  it  be 
a  time  for  the  breaking  of  fetters,  for  the  unloosing  of  the 
prisoner,  for  the  ransoming  of  the  people,  then  you  must 
act  in  opposition  to  them.  God  give  to  this  people  and 
to  you  and  to  me,  also,  wisdom  to  see  the  right,  and 
strength,  and  resolution  to  do  the  right." 

This  speech  was  listened  to  with  great  attention  by 
the  Representatives  and  the  audience.  At  its  conclusion 
the  House  adjourned  for  the  day,  and  Philip  Oram,  has- 
tening from  the  hall,  was  at  once  surrounded  by  a  large 
number  of  the  laboring  men  who  had  filled  it,  and  who 
were  desirous  of  taking  him  by  the  hand. 

I  watched  them  with  interest,  for  I  saw  that  these 
men  were  deeply  moved.  Nearly  every  one  of  them  ut- 
tered some  ejaculation  of  praise,  or  thanks,  sometimes 
to  the  speaker,  sometimes  to  God. 

I  saw  members  of  the  House  watching  the  scene 
and  evidently  considering  its  meaning. 

One  idea  seemed  to  have  been  impressed  upon  the 
audience,  that  the  Nationality  was  far  more  determined 
uiid  unified  in  resistance  than  had  been  supposed. 

In  the  daily  press,  and  among  the  leading  politicians, 
and  the  citizens  of  Washington,  the  speech  met  with  but 
scant  approval,  and  was  generally  spoken  of  as  danger- 
ous and  revolutionary  in  its  tendencies. 

Various  measures  were  suggested  to  meet  the  di- 


302  John  Harvey 

lemma.  Some  considered  that  the  standing  army  should 
be  very  largely  increased,  and  that  the  bill  for  that  pur- 
pose now  before  congress  should  be  passed  at  once ;  others 
thought  that  laws  prohibiting  revolutionary  utterances 
and  publications  should  be  enacted. 

In  none  of  these  remedies,  however,  could  I  see  any 
hope  of  relief  for  the  distressed  people. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

THE    RETURN. 

The  12th  of  November  I  left  Washington  to  return 
to  Neuropolis,  and  on  the  evening  of  the  13th  reached 
Cincinnati,  a  city  situated  on  the  Ohio  River,  and  con- 
taining several  hundred  thousand  inhabitants. 

Here  an  encampment  of  twenty-five  thousand  Uni- 
ted States  troops,  infantry  and  cavalry,  ready  for  march- 
ing orders,  showed  the  intentions  of  the  government. 
Six  gunboats  were  also  anchored  in  the  Ohio  River.  The 
arrival  of  these  troops  and  vessels  within  the  last  twenty 
clays  had  caused  much  excitement  among  the  people, 
and  made  them  realize  the  possibility  of  war. 

Public  sentiment  here  was  much  divided;  the  richer 
classes  endorsing  the  President's  course,  and  many  of 
the  less  wealthy  openly  protesting  against  it.  Recruit- 
ing for  the  army  was  going  forward  rapidly,  as  many 
thousands  of  persons  were  out  of  employment. 

On  the  15th  I  reached  St.  Louis,  a  great  city  in  the 
state  of  Missouri.  An  encampment  containing  thirty 
thousand  United  States  troops  occupied  the  eastern  bank 
of  the  Mississippi  River,  nearly  opposite  to  it.  It  had 
been  originally  intended  that  these  troops  should  pitch 
their  tents  within  the  state  of  Missouri,  just  outside  St. 
Louis,  but  upon  the  remonstrance  of  both  municipal  and 
state  authorities  they  had  been  halted  on  the  spot  where 
they  now  were.  Eight  gunboats  lay  in  the  river  just 
below  the  city. 

I  discovered  among  the  richer  classes  in  St.  Louis  a 
3°3 


304  John  Harvey 

feeling  quite  different  from  that  in  places  farther  east. 
The  precipitate  action  of  the  government  was  very  gen- 
erally condemned;  the  presence  of  the  troops  and  the 
gunboats  was  resented  as  a  menace,  and  the  people  gen- 
erally regarded  the  Nationality  in  a  very  friendly  way, 
and  were  what  the  government  authorities  would  have 
called  revolutionary  in  feeling.  The  city  was  quiet  and 
orderly,  and  less  suffering  existed  and  fewer  persons 
were  out  of  employment  than  in  any  other  I  had  visited. 
Many  of  its  most  intelligent  public  men  were  in  favor  of 
joining  the  Nationality. 

On  the  evening  of  the  18th  of  November  I  left  St. 
Louis  and  proceeded  by  rail  toward  Neuropolis,  and, 
crossing  the  boundary  line  of  Nebraska  on  the  morning 
of  the  iQth  was  once  more  in  the  territory  of  the  Nation- 
ality, not  far  from  the  disputed  townships. 

I  observed  that  the  personnel  of  the  passengers  was 
carefully  scrutinized,  though  without  ostentation,  by  cer- 
tain officials  who  passed  through  the  train. 

As  we  went  onward  I  was  more  than  ever  charmed 
by  the  thrift,  industry,  contentment  and  happiness  evi- 
dent throughout  the  land.  About  sixty  miles  inland  from 
the  Missouri  a  city  of  white  tents  suddenly  broke  upon 
mv  vision.  Around  it  stretched  fields  and  villages  and 
all  the  insignia  of  peace  and  plenty,  and  to  me  its  pres- 
ence seemed  incongruous,  and  showed  plainly  how  easily 
this  scene  of  quiet  and  content  could  be  transformed  into 
one  of  strife  and  carnage. 

I  quitted  the  train  here  and  waited  upon  the  officers 
commanding  the  troops,  presenting  credentials  furnished 
me  by  the  authorities  at  Neuropolis,  and  learned  that  this 
encampment  of  forty  thousand  men  and  a  smaller  one 
on  the  Missouri,  near  the  head  of  the  great  canal,  had 
been  made  very  shortly  after  my  departure  from  the  Na- 


The  Return  305 

tionality.  I  'Spent  several  hours  at  this  place,  and  l'ound 
that  those  thus  suddenly  called  from  their  usual  avoca- 
tions had  already  attained  much  proficiency  in  military 
drill  and  movement.  The  officers  informed  me  that  the 
ablejbodied  population  throughout  the  Nationality  were 
busily  engaged  in  similar  preparation  with  a  zeal  and 
unanimity  that  left  no  doubt  of  their  patriotism. 

I  resumed  my  journey  in  the  evening,  and  when  I 
awoke  on  the  morning  of  the  20th  we  were  Hearing  the 
city  of  Neuropolis.  The  great  dome  of  the  Administra- 
tion Building  could  be  already  seen,  lifting  its  white, 
shadowy  form  into  the  morning  sunlight.  Farther  away 
in  the  dim  distance  the  solemn  mountains  tossed  their 
everlasting  billows  skyward,  the  great  Continental  range 
in  the  center,  white  with  snow  fields  presaging  the  ad- 
vent of  winter.  Trains  were  speeding  in  and  out,  and 
all  the  adjuncts  of  the  city  became  constantly  more  nu- 
merous. 

My  thoughts  involuntarily  turned  from  the  stern  top- 
ics of  the  times,  with  which  for  the  last  few  weeks  they 
had  been  almost  constantly  engaged,  to  the  lovely  view 
around  me  and  the  picture  of  prosperity  and  security  here 
presented.  In  all  this  land  there  was  no  man,  woman,  or 
child  without  means  of  livelihood  and  a  comfortable 
home. 

Sheltered  amid  groves  of  trees,  whose  fading  glo- 
ries proclaimed  the  presence  of  the  autumn,  were  number- 
less villages,  around  which  spread  wide  acres  of  product- 
ive lands,  owned  by  the  community  and  cultivated  for  the 
good  of  all. 

In  these  homes  there  might  be  sickness  and  death, 
but  there  was  no  want  of  material  comforts;  there  might 
be  sorrowful  partings,  but  there  was  no  apprehension  of 
future  hardships  and  deprivations  to  loved  ones.      In 


306  John  Harvey 

those  fields  and  their  products,  in  those  groves  and  their 
shade,  all  had  an  equal  proprietorship.  Xo  great  mag- 
nate, but  the  people  themselves  owned  them.  The  maj- 
esty of  this  thought  engrossed  me;  the  possibilities  of 
this  system,  the  impossibility  of  its  overthrow,  the  won- 
derful patriotism  it  evolved,  the  camps  I  had  seen,  the 
earnest  men  I  had  talked  with,  all  filled  my  mind,  and  to 
compare  these  results  with  those  of  the  old  system  seemed 
like  pitting  the  work  of  intelligent  manhood  against  the 
incomplete  attempts  of  children,  or  the  idle  efforts  of  in- 
sanity. 

We  were  nearing  the  city,  and  as  I  looked  once 
more  toward  the  great  dome  which  surmounted  its  proud 
Administration  Building  my  eye  caught  the  stern  figure 
of  John  Harvey  on  its  summit,  plainly  discernible,  in 
black  coat  and  white  nether  garments,  resting  upon  the 
naked  sword,  set  point  downward  before  him,  gazing  far 
out  to  the  eastward. 

With  a  feeling  of  self-condemnation  I  thought  of 
how  ready  I  had  been  to  malign  the  character  of  this 
man,  the  originator  and  founder  of  this  system. 

Soon  the  clear  waters  of  the  lake,  reflecting  with 
roseate  glow  the  light  of  the  rising  sun,  recalled  the  boat 
ride  upon  it,  and  the  image  of  Clothilde,  never  long  ap- 
sent  from  my  mind. 

I  thought  of  her,  beautiful,  proud,  and  reserved,  so 
strangely  circumstanced  in  this  land;  of  her  persistent 
and  unexplained  refusal  of  my  suit,  and  yet  her  constant 
and  apparently  unwavering  trust  in  me.  I  thought  of 
my  meeting  with  her,  and  my  heart  bounded  with  joy 
in  the  prospect  of  seeing  her  again,  and  the  hope  that  she 
might  now  understand  me  better  and  give  rne  a  more 
lover-like  greeting. 

We  reached  Neuropolis  and  my  hand  was  grasped 


77ic  Return  307 

warmly  by  Councilor  Beyresen,  who  had  come  to  meet 
me.  We  proceeded  at  once  to  his  house,  where  he  said 
all  were  expecting-  me. 

I  was  cordially  received  by  Mrs.  Beyresen  and  her 
younger  daughter,  and  a  few  minutes  later  Clothilde  came 
into  the  room.  She  was  very  earnest  in  her  manner,  and 
though  less  demonstrative  than  I  could  have  wished,  was 
evidently  glad  to  see  me. 

I  remained  for  several  hours,  and  gave  them  as  full 
an  account  as  I  could  of  the  impressions  I  had  received 
while  abroad. 

I  was  told  that  the  Parliament  was  in  session,  and 
had  some  time  previous  called  a  meeting  of  all  the  labor 
directors  of  the  Nationality,  which  would  convene  at 
Xeuropolis  on  the  morrow. 

About  10  o'clock  of  the  morning  of  the  21st  I  met 
with  a  committee  of  the  Parliament,  and  communicated 
to  them  the  knowledge  I  had  gained  abroad  in  regard  to 
the  condition  of  the  people  of  the  other  states,  and  their 
feeling  toward  the  Nationality. 

It  was  evident  the  gravity  of  the  situation  was  fully 
understood  by  the  committee,  and  I  learned  that  the 
meeting  of  the  labor  directors  was  called  to  complete  the 
organization  of  their  forces,  and  to  ensure  perfect  har- 
mony, and  rapid  and  effective  movement  and  action  in 
case  of  any  emergency.  In  the  afternoon  their  first  ses- 
sion was  held  in  the  Administration  Building,  and  nearly 
eight  thousand  of  them  were  in  attendance,  and  it  was  ex- 
pected that  by  the  morrow  this  number  would  be  in- 
creased to  fully  ten  thousand. 

The  next  morning,  while  passing  down  one  of  the 
boulevards,  I  met  Clothilde  Beyresen  going  to  a  pho- 
tographer's, and  I  accompanied  her.  She  desired  to  find 
a  picture  of  a  beautiful  child  face,  out  of  the  ordinary  type, 


308  John  Harvey 

to  serve  as  a  model  for  a  painting,  but  was  unable  to  pro- 
cure one  that  pleased  her. 

"Possibly,"  said  I,  "I  can  furnish  what  you  wish.  I 
have  the  photograph  of  a  little  girl  about  six  years  of  age 
which  I  think  will  suit  you.  If  you  will  permit  me  I  will 
send  it  to  you,  or  if  you  can  wait  till  evening  I  will 
bring  it." 

"I  can  wait,"  she  replied,  "and  shall  be  very  much 
pleased  to  see  you." 

So  that  evening  I  took  my  photograph  and  gave  it 
to  her.  Clothilde  looked  at  it  long  and  intently.  Finally 
she  said:  "Mr.  Herbert,  this  is  an  unusual  picture;  the 
face  and  dress  are  peculiar,  and  evidently  foreign;  it  in- 
terests me  very  much,  and  I  am  sure  has  a  history." 

"Yes,"  I  replied,  "it  is  a  Spanish  face,  and  its  original 
was  one  of  the  sweetest,  most  attractive  little  persons  that 
I  ever  met." 

"Do  you  remember  her  so  well?"  she  inquired,  and 
then,  looking  at  the  back  of  the  photograph,  she  ex- 
claimed: "Why,  Mr.  Maxwell,  this  picture  is  eighteen 
years  old!" 

"I  do  remember  her,"I  answered.  "I  remember  the 
little  girl  distinctly,  and  I  think  very  few  who  ever  saw 
her  would  forget  her;  I  am  sure  I  never  shall.  The  pic- 
ture does  not  do  her  justice.  She  was  far  more  beautiful 
and  attractive  than  you  could  imagine  from  it." 

"You  interest  me,  Mr.  Maxwell,"  she  said.  "You 
have  kept  the  picture  so  long  and  are  so  enthusiastic 
over  it.    Who  was  the  child,  may  I  ask?" 

"I  will  try  and  tell  you,"  I  said,  "even  at  the  risk 
of  appearing  somewhat  ridiculous.  That  little  girl  was 
my  first  sweetheart.  She  was  a  little  Spanish  maiden 
of  the  name  of  Stephanie,  the  Princess  Stephanie,  for  she 
was  connected  some  way,  I  have  forgotten  how,  for  I  was 


Return  joy 

only  a  boy  of  twelve,  with  the  royal  family  of  Spain.  She 
stayed  with  my  mother  for  some  weeks,  and  she  was 
playmate  and  sweetheart  to  me  in  my  boyish  fancy." 

"You  seem,  Mr.  Maxwell,  to  have  been  unusually 
true  to  her  memory ;  you  have  preserved  her  picture  for 
so  many  yea. 

'Yes,"  I  replied,  "and  I  must  confess  I  do  not  like — 
I  would  not  talk  about  her  to  a  stranger — for,  child  as 
she  was,  she  took  a  very  strong  hold  on  my  imagination." 

"Did  you  never  see  her  again — after  she  grew  up?" 

"No,  Miss  Clothilde,  I  never  did.  I  have  often  won- 
dered whether  she  was  alive  yet  and  what  manner  of 
person  she  became.  I  assure  you  she  was  very  remark- 
able, but  I  left  home  at  an  early  age,  and  I  don't  knew 
whether  my  little  friend  lived  or  died." 

"Have  you  ever  tried  to  find  out?"  she  inquired,  I 
thought  a  little  mischievously. 

"Pray  be  merciful  when  I  have  been  so  frank  in  con- 
fession," I  replied.     "I  have  tried  many  times." 

"And  you  cannot  find  her,  Mr.  Maxwell?  Well,  I 
advise  your  lordship  to  keep  on  trying,  and  very  likely 
success  will  eventually  crown  your  efforts.  Meanwhile, 
if  you  will  let  me  have  your  treasure  of  a  picture,  I  will 
promise  you  to  take  good  care  of  it." 

Events  were  now  fast  crowding  upon  each  other. 
On  the  23d  of  November  the  Parliament  passed  a  reso- 
lution inviting  the  governors  of  the  several  states  of  the 
Union  to  appoint  commissioners  to  visit  the  Nationality, 
to  the  intent  that  by  personal  inspection  of  its  labor  sys- 
tem, and  the  condition  of  the  people  living  for  the  last 
twenty  years  under  it,  they  might  be  able  to  judge  of  its 
merits,  and  be  satisfied  of  the  republican  character  of  its 
government,  and  the  loyalty  of  its  officers  and  people. 

The  resolution  assured  the  governors  that  every  fa- 


310  John  Harvey 

cility  would  be  granted  the  commissioners  for  making1 
this  inquiry,  and  they  were  earnestly  requested,  in  view 
of  the  condition  of  affairs  in  the  United  States,  to  take  as 
speedy  action  in  the  matter  as  possible. 

The  legislature  of  the  states  of  Texas,  Missouri,  Ar- 
kansas, and  Oklahoma  were  now  in  session  and  were 
earnestly  discussing  the  question  of  joining  the  Nation- 
ality, and  a  majority  of  them  seemed  in  favor  of  doing  so. 

It  cannot  be  doubted  that  the  Money  Power,  fully 
realizing  that  two  systems  of  labor  and  distribution  so 
diverse  could  not  long  exist  together,  and  that  their  own 
must  inevitably  soon  fall  to  pieces  unless  a  vital  blow  was 
given  to  the  other,  had  determined  to  prevent  such  a 
union  at  all  hazards,  and  was  largely  responsible  for  the 
warlike  attitude  and  precipitancy  of  the  general  govern- 
ment. 

On  the  23d  of  November,  1935,  the  labor  directors 
having  concluded  their  deliberations,  adjourned.  On 
the  evening  of  that  day  I  called  upon  Clothilde  and  was 
received  joyfully. 

"I  was  wishing  you  would  come,"  she  said.  "I  have 
been  shut  up  all  day  and  I  wanted  some  one  to  talk  with, 
or,  better,  some  one  to  walk  with." 

In  five  minutes  we  were  on  our  way.  The  evening 
was  pleasant,  and  it  was  just  dusk. 

"I  have  been  out  so  little  of  late,"  she  continued, 
"that  it  is  a  pleasure  to  feel  the  evening  air.  Besides,  I 
have  many  questions  to  ask  you  about  your  eastern  trip." 

'T  will  answer  all  your  questions,  Clothilde,"  I  re- 
plied, "but  when  you  get  through  I  have  just  one  to  ask 
you  to-night.    Will  you  answer  it?" 

"I  do  not  know  what  it  is,  Mr.  Maxwell,"  she  re- 
plied evasively. 

"No,  I  suppose  not,"  I  said.    "Let  us  sit  down  here 


The  Return  311 

in  this  little  park  a  few  moments.  There,  now,  we  can 
rest.  Do  you  remember  the  night  of  our  boat  ride,  Clo- 
tliilde?  Do  you  not  remember  that  I  had  permission  to 
ask  you  a  question  again?" 

"Mr.  Maxwell!"  she  exclaimed  quickly,  "you  said 
just  now  you  would  answer  all  my  questions,  and  ask 
me  none  till  I  get  through." 

"Well,"  I  answered,  "I  have  no  objections,  but  I 
want  you  to  promise  me  to  answer  mine  in  exact  accord- 
ance with  the  truth,  when  I  do  ask  it." 

"There  is  to  be  but  one?"  she  replied  inquiringly. 

"There  may  be  as  many  as  two,"  I  said. 

"No!"  she  exclaimed,  "there  ought  to  be  but  one. 
I  will  answer  one  with  the  exactness  you  desire,  but  you 
must  promise  to  first  answer  mine  truthfully." 

"Of  course,  I  will,"  I  replied,  "but  how  many?" 

"Well,"  she  continued,  "I  shall  want  more  than  you, 
because  I  do  not  understand  putting  my  questions  as  di- 
rectly as  you,  but  I  think  three  will  do  me." 

"Very  well,"  I  replied,  "I  will  answer  three." 

"Another  thing,  you  will  promise  not  to  be  offended 
if  I  am  not  fully  satisfied  with  the  correctness  of  your  re- 
plies, and  tell  you  so  plainly?" 

"I  cannot  conceive  of  my  being  offended,"  I  an- 
swered. 

"But  you  will  promise?" 

"I  will  promise  at  least  not  to  show  any  such  feeling." 

"Very  well,  then,"  she  continued,  "I  have  been  look- 
ing at  the  picture  you  gave  me,  and  thinking  over  what 
you  told  me  in  regard  to  it.  You  did  not  imagine  I  could 
forget  it,  did  you?" 

"No,  I  did  not  suppose  you  or  anyone  else  could  for- 
get what  I  said  so  shortly  before,"  I  replied.     "I  have 


312  John  Harvey 

now  answered  the  first  of  your  questions,  Clothilde,"  I 
added. 

"Oh!"  she  exclaimed,  "I  did  not  intend  that  for  a 
question.  However,  let  it  go.  I  have  your  promise  to 
answer  two  more,  and  I  think  they  will  be  enough  for  my 
purpose.  Mr.  Maxwell,"  she  continued,  looking  at  me 
very  seriously,  "you  told  me  that  the  girl  represented  in 
that  picture  was  very  remarkable,  and  made  a  strong  im- 
pression on  your  imagination.  Was  that  impression  so 
strong  as  to  continue  with  you  after  the  age  of  maturity ; 
I  mean  after  the  age  of  twenty-one?" 

The  question  was  so  unexpected,  and  put  so  directly, 
that  I  was  confused  and  hesitated.  But  my  interlocutor 
never  wavered,  nor  removed  her  sparkling  eyes  from 
their  straightforward  look  into  my  face. 

"Answer,  yes  or  no,  please,"  she  said  in  a  calm,  firm 
voice. 

"Yes,  it  did,"  I  replied,  "but " 

"That  will  do,"  she  interrupted;  "now  for  my  other 
question.  Have  you,  Mr.  Maxwell,  ever  again  met  this 
girl?" 

"No,"  I  declared  promptly,  "I  have  not." 

"Mr.  Maxwell,"  she  said  in  an  uncertain  manner, 
"I  suppose  you  consider  you  have  answered  my  ques- 
tions." 

"And  satisfactorily,  I  hope,"  I  returned. 

"No,"  she  said  quietly,  "I  do  not  believe  you  an- 
swered the  last  question  truthfully.  In  fact,  I  am  well 
assured,  and  believe  that  you  have  met  this  person  later." 

"I  know  I  have  not,"  I  said  positively.  "I  have  never 
seen  her  nor  spoken  to  her  since  the  time  of  which  I  have 
told  you." 

"You  must  show  no  annovance,     Mr.     Maxwell. 


The  Return  313 

Please  do  not  pursue  the  subject  further.  I  am  ready 
now  to  answer  your  question." 

"I  do  not  think  I  shall  ask  my  question  just  now, 
Clothilde.    I  may  ask  it  any  time  to-night,  I  believe." 

"And  I  will  answer  it  any  time  to-night,"  she  said 
gravely. 

We  sat  a  few  moments  in  silence. 

"Let  us  walk  on  up  the  boulevard,"  she  said. 

We  rose,  she  took  my  arm,  and  we  resumed  our  way. 
She  seemed  much  affected,  and  as  for  me  I  cannot  de- 
scribe my  feelings.  I  was  determined,  however,  to  show 
no  annoyance.    We  reached  the  Administration  Square. 

"Do  vou  remember  when  we  were  here  before?"  she 
asked. 

"Yes,"  I  answered,  "the  night  we  sat  on  the  portico 
of  the  University  Building.    Shall  we  go  up  there  now?" 

"No,"  she  said,  "do  not  let  us  go  there  to-night." 

"Where  shall  we  go?"  I  asked. 

"Let  us  go  home,"  she  answered. 

So  we  turned,  and  began  to  retrace  our  steps.  She 
shivered. 

"You  are  cold,"  I  said. 

"No,"  she  returned,  "it  was  only  an  involuntary 
movement;  I  am  warm  enough." 

I  caught  her  hand.  It  was  really  quite  warm.  We 
reached  the  house. 

"Won't  you  come  in?"  she  said. 

"I  will,  Clothilde,"  I  replied,  "and  I  will  ask  my 
question,"  and  I  followed  her  in.  "I  will  write  it,  and  you 
may  keep  it,  no  matter  how  you  answer."  I  picked  up  a 
sheet  of  note  paper,  and  wrote:  "Will  you  promise  to  be 
my  wife?" — signed  my  name  to  it,  and  gave  it  to  her. 

She  was  quite  pale,  but  she  read  it,  and  then,  seating 


314  John  Harvey 

herself,  after  a  moment  wrote  her  answer  on  the  paper 
and,  folding  it  up,  brought  it  to  me. 

"I  have  replied  to  your  question  in  writing  also,  and 
give  up  the  paper  to  you  so  that  you  may  do  with  it  what 
you  choose.    Please  do  not  read  it  now." 

I  arose  to  go,  and  she  came  with  me  to  the  door. 

"I  do  not  know  what  is  in  your  note,  nor  what  is  in 
your  heart,  Clothilde,  but  I  know  what  is  in  mine,  and 
there  is  nothing  to  reproach  myself  with,  and  nothing  but 
love  for  you." 

Some  distance  up  the  street,  by  the  aid  of  an  electric 
light,  I  read  what  she  had  written,  which  ran  thus:  "I 
cannot,  until  you  either  find  that  girl  or  admit  your  mis- 
take in  answering  my  second  question.  You  ought  to 
know  me  better. — Clothilde." 

I  returned  to  my  room,  but  sleep  did  not  visit  my 
couch  for  long  hours.  I  could  not  understand  Clothilde's 
answer  to  my  question.  At  first  I  feared  that  I  had  been 
maligned,  but  the  absurdity  of  the  thought  was  manifest ; 
no  one  was  aware  of  an  unusual  interest  between  Clothilde 
and  myself,  and,  besides,  I  thought  I  knew  her  well 
enough  to  be  assured  that  any  defamer  of  my  character 
would  be  summarily  rebuked.  Again  I  thought  it  a  mere 
caprice,  but  her  earnest  and  agitated  manner  showed 
that  she  had  a  genuine  motive.  Her  implication  of  un- 
truthfulness was  so  extraordinary  and  so  positive,  that 
though  aware  that  it  was  groundless,  yet  I  felt  that  she 
believed  it. 

The  hopelessness  of  undeceiving  her  was  apparent, 
and  so  thinking  the  matter  over,  it  grew  more  and  more 
perplexing  as  I  dwelt  upon  it,  but  finally  I  fell  asleep. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

THE  HYMN  OF  THE  NATIONALITY. 

I  awoke  early  the  following  morning,  and  when  I 
went  out  on  the  street  I  saw  groups  of  men  conversing 
earnestly,  a  thing  unusual  at  that  hour.  After  reaching 
the  restaurant  I  discovered  the  cause.  The  President 
had  issued  his  call  upon  the  various  state  executives,  and 
the  country  generally,  for  troops  to  assist  the  regular 
army  in  enforcing  the  laws,  and  the  mandates  of  the 
courts,  in  the  state  of  Nebraska. 

As  soon  as  I  could  I  read  the  call,  which,  with  the 
comments  of  leading  public  men,  was  published  in  the 
morning  journals. 

It  was  no  half-way  measure.  It  was  an  arraignment 
of  the  leaders  of  the  Nationality  as  law  breakers,  and  aid- 
ers and  abettors  of  the  insurrection.  It  insisted  that  the 
people  in  the  states  composing  that  body  were  deluded, 
and  asserted  that  law  and  order  must  be  maintained.  It 
admitted  that  the  ordinary  force  of  the  government  was 
inadequate  for  this  purpose,  and  ended  by  calling  for  five 
hundred  thousand  men  of  the  National  Guard,  a  certain 
number  to  be  furnished  within  thirty  days  from  each 
state,  and  also  for  volunteers. 

Its  publication  had  evidently  been  determined  upon 
some  time  previous,  for  arrangements  had  been  made  for 
opening  recruiting  stations  in  certain  large  cities  that 
very  morning,  and  the  locations  of  camps  of  preliminary 
instruction  and  organization  were  designated. 

The  effect  in  Neuropolis  was  very  remarkable.  In 
315 


316  John  Harvey 

the  early  morning,  placards  were  posted  giving  informa- 
tion that  the  labor  directors  were  called  together  again  at 
10  o'clock,  and  also  that  meetings  of  the  citizens  would  be 
held  in  various  places,  and  men  discussed  the  situation 
gravely  and  solemnly,  at  their  homes,  and  upon  the 
streets. 

As  the  day  wore  on,  and  telegraphic  announcements 
were  made  on  the  bulletin  boards  that  recruiting  was 
going  on  actively  in  various  cities ;  that  certain  officers  of 
the  army  had  been  put  in  charge  of  certain  camps;  and 
that  the  governors  of  some  of  the  Eastern  states  had  as- 
sured the  President  of  their  support,  the  temper  of  the 
people  changed  from  that  of  quiet,  reflective  solemnity 
to  patriotic  manifestations  and  determination. 

Later  in  the  day  the  excitement  became  greater  and 
numbers  of  men  filled  the  streets,  arm  in  arm,  on  their 
way  to  the  various  places  where  they  expected  to  be  ad- 
dressed by  certain  of  their  leaders.  There  was,  however, 
no  boisterousness,  no  loud  noises,  and,  of  course,  no 
drunkenness. 

I  attended  several  of  these  meetings  and  wras  im- 
pressed with  the  wisdom  of  the  speakers,  who,  while  ad- 
mitting that  the  action  of  -the  President  meant  speedy 
warfare,  yet  advised  moderation,  and  assured  the  citizens 
that  ample  preparation  had  been  made  for  any  present 
emergency,  and  that  further  provision  would  follow  to 
meet  any  that  might  thereafter  arise. 

The  feeling,  though  subdued,  was,  I  could  see,  in- 
tense and  universal  and  likely,  as  soon  as  the  extreme 
gravity  and  solemnity  of  the  occasion  wore  a  little  away, 
to  result  in  an  outbreak  of  patriotic  feeling  seldom  wit- 
nessed. 

The  time  had  fallen  on  a  Sunday,  and  services  were 
held  in  all  the  churches  of  the  city,  at  which  special  men- 


The  Hy m7i  of  the  Nationality  317 

tion  of  the  President's  call,  its  character  and  conse- 
squences,  had  been  made;  and  a  deep  religious,  patriotic 
feeling  had  been  evoked.  Ministers  had  spoken  at  the 
public  meetings  after  their  own  services,  and  exhorted  to 
patience,  moderation,  firmness,  and  readiness.  This  was 
the  temper  of  the  leaders  and  the  people  at  the  close  of 
the  day. 

In  the  meantime,  in  his  room  in  another  part  of  the 
city,  an  obscure  poet,  fired  by  the  occasion  and  permeated 
by  the  intense  feeling  around  him,  was  preparing  a  song, 
which,  with  the  music  written  by  himself,  was  destined 
to  be  a  potent  factor  in  the  struggle  at  hand. 

About  midnight,  thousands  of  printed  copies  of  this 
song  were  distributed  among  the  labor  directors,  still  as- 
sembled in  deliberative  session,  and  so  readily  did  it  ex- 
press the  prevailing  sentiment  among  them  that,  for  over 
an  hour  before  final  adjournment,  its  words  and  notes 
sung  by  these  men  filled  the  great  hall  they  occupied. 

I  had  not  seen  Clothilde,  but  on  my  return  to  my 
rooms  at  night  found  a  note  awaiting  me  which  had  been 
brought  late  by  a  messenger.    It  read  as  follows: 

"I  have  not  seen  nor  heard  from  you  all  this  exciting 
day,  which  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  for  you  have  iiad 
doubtless  many  things  to  engage  your  attention;  but  if 
you  can  find  time  to  call  to-morrow  I  shall  be  very  glad. 
There  is  nothing  special,  only  in  times  such  as  these  one 
wishes  to  see  friends  oftener  than  at  others. — Clothilde." 

On  the  following  morning,  the  25th,  I  was  astir 
early.  In  the  Eastern  papers  I  read  confirmation  of  the 
news  of  the  preceding  day,  and  fresh  assurance  that  the 
President  would  be  supported.  In  those  of  Xeuropolis 
it  was  announced  that  the  business  sessions  of  the  labor 
directors  having  ended,  they  would  return  to  their  homes, 
but  that  before  so  doing  another  meeting  would  be  held 


318  John  Harvey 

at  2  p.  m.  at  their  hall  in  the  Administration  Building, 
and  that  some  public  demonstration  would  be  made  at 
that  place. 

Thinking  that  Clothilde  would  probably  desire  to  see 
this.  I  sent  a  note  informing  her  that  I  would  call  for 
her  at  I  o'clock.  I  found  her  anxious,  but  animated  by 
patriotic  resolution,  and  we  were  soon  on  our  way  toward 
the  Administration  Square. 

The  streets  about  it  were  kept  clear,  but  the  throng 
was  already  so  great  on  the  sidewalks  and  boulevards 
leading  to  it  that  it  was  with  much  difficulty  we  could 
obtain  standing  room. 

"I  see  no  other  way  than  to  get  to  our  old  place  on 
the  porch  of  the  University  Building,"  I  said. 

So  we  were  soon  comfortably  settled  on  the  high 
porch,  which  no  one  had  as  yet  discovered  as  a  point  of 
observation. 

The  great  eastern  entrance  to  the  Administration 
Building  was  before  us.  Into  it  hundreds  of  labor  direct- 
ors were  passing.  They  wore  cocked  hats  and  white 
sashes,  which  they  seemed  to  have  adopted  as  insignia 
for  the  occasion.  These  men  were  from  all  parts  of  the 
Nationality;  they  were  the  representative  men  of  their 
localities.  They  had  direct  charge  of  the  labor  element 
of  their  communities ;  they  were  the  captains  of  hundreds 
of  other  men,  engaged  usually  in  peaceful  labor.  In  a  day 
or  so  they  would  all  be  at  their  homes  and  with  their 
commands,  engaged  in  what?  Xo  one  could  now  tell, 
but  it  was  evident  there  was  no  need  here  for  calls  for 
volunteers,  and  but  little  for  camps  of  instruction. 

I  turned  to  my  companion,  who  seemed  disturbed 
and  wearied. 

"Do  you  know  what  all- this  means?"  I  said,  gently. 


The  Hymn  of  the  Nationality  319 

"I  do,"  she  answered.  "I  can  see  it  all.  I  have  seen 
it  all." 

"You  have  never  seen  war!"  I  exclaimed. 

"Yes,  I  have,"  said  she. 

"Impossible!"  I  cried.     "Where  have  you  seen  it?" 

"In  my  dreams,"  she  answered  smiling  sadly. 

I  said  no  more,  for  I  saw  she  was  thinking  of  other 
things,  or  possibly  engaged  then  in  dreaming. 

Time  wore  on  and  the  crowd  below  still  increased. 

Thousands  of  men  now  filled  all  the  avenues  and 
approaches  to  the  Administration  Square  and  the  side- 
walks round  it,  and  the  women  occupied  the  houses  and 
public  buildings  wherever  a  view  could  be  obtained,  every 
one  curious,  and  anxious,  and  expectant. 

A  large  platform,  capable  of  holding  several  hun- 
dred persons,  had  been  erected  a  little  higher  than  the 
street  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Administration  Square 
next  us,  and  this  was  filled  with  seats  as  yet  unoccupied. 

It  was  now  nearly  2  p.  m.,  and  the  eyes  of  all  were  di- 
rected toward  the  entrance  to  the  Administration  Build- 
ing. At  a  quarter  before  the  hour  a  body  of  men,  num- 
bering about  two  hundred,  issued  from  it,  and  walked 
arm  in  arm  down  to  this  platform  and  took  seats  upon 
it,  facing  the  street.  They  were  the  members  of  the  par- 
liament of  the  Nationality,  its  chief  dignitaries  and  offi- 
cials. They  were  preceded  by  General  Canley,  who  was 
dressed  in  the  full  uniform  of  a  general  of  the  United 
States,  except  that  he,  too,  wore  a  white  sash.  There 
were  a  number  of  other  officers  in  uniform,  who  also  wore 
white  sashes,  among  whom  I  recognized  General  Knox, 
St.  John,  and  others.  These  gentlemen  all  preserved  a 
decorous  silence.  There  was  no  conversation  and  no 
movement,  after  seats  were  taken,  and  a  deep  solemnity 
at  once  fell  upon  the  audience. 


320  John  Harvey 

The  great  clock  in  the  building  now  struck  the  hour 
of  two,  and  immediately  the  body  of  labor  directors  within 
began  to  move  out  from  the  entrance.  They  bore  white 
wands  in  their  hands,  and  marched  in  ranks  of  fifties  with 
the  precision  of  military  order.  The  column  moved  diag- 
onally down  the  broad  stone  walk  leading  to  the  south- 
east corner  of  the  Square;  then,  turning  to  the  left, 
marched  northward  along  the  eastern  boulevard,  about 
two  hundred  feet  past  the  center  of  the  Square,  and,  fac- 
ing toward  the  west  and  the  Administration  Building, 
halted  in  close  order. 

In  a  few  moments  the  space  in  front  of  the  platform 
for  four  hundred  feet  in  length  was  occupied  by  fully 
ten  thousand  labor  directors.  They  preserved  perfect  si- 
lence, and  strict  military  attitude  and  attention. 

As  soon  as  they  had  taken  their  position  the  exercises 
began.  The  Right  Reverend  Matthew  Kirkwood,  one 
of  the  most  eminent  clergymen  of  the  day,  besought  the 
Divine  guidance  and  protection  in  these  troublous  times, 
in  a  prayer  of  great  fervor  and  feeling,  in  which  the  entire 
audience,  numbering  now  probably  three  hundred  thou- 
sand persons,  with  bowed  heads  joined. 

In  the  adjacent  houses  and  public  buildings,  I  was 
afterward  informed,  many  knelt  in  supplication,  so  power- 
ful was  the  feeling.  We  had  risen  to  our  feet  and  were 
standing  together,  and  as  the  prayer  began  Clothilde's 
hand  met  mine,  and  with  clasped  hands  we  remained  to 
the  conclusion  of  the  exercises. 

The  tall  figure  of  General  Canly  moved  to  the  front 
of  the  platform. 

He  said  a  few  words  inaudible  to  us,  and  then  raised 
his  right  hand. 

Immediately  from  the  ranks  before  him  ten  thousand 
hands  were  raised  toward  heaven,  and  a  solemn  oath  of 


The  Hymn  of  the  Nationality  321 

fealty  to  the  principles  of  the  Nationality,  to  its  system 
of  labor,  to  its  service  to  the  death,  and  to  obedience  to 
its  officers,  was  taken  by  those  ten  thousand  men,  them- 
selves leaders  of  men. 

Then  ensued  a  scene  which  was  not  in  the  regular 
order  of  exercises,  but  which  for  intense  feeling  exceeded 
all  others  I  ever  witnessed. 

A  young  man  broke  through  the  crowd,  and  sprang 
upon  the  platform  to  the  place  which  General  Canly 
had  just  quitted.  He  was  hatless,  pale,  and  excited,  and 
was  clothed  in  a  black  suit  which  accentuated  his  wild 
appearance. 

He  bore  in  his  hand  a  white  wand  which  he  had 
snatched  from  one  of  the  labor  directors,  and  he  began 
at  once;  beating  the  time  with  his  improvised  baton,  to 
sing  in  a  loud,  clear  tenor  voice  the  song  of  which  I  have 
before  spoken. 

Immediately  the  whole  body  of  the  labor  directors, 
most  of  them  trained  musicians,  joined  in  by  common 
impulse,  and  the  great  volume  of  sound  swelled  out  over 
the  vast  space,  thrilling  the  spectators  as  nothing  else  but 
song  can  do. 

At  first  all  eyes  were  fixed  upon  the  leader,  but  the 
words  and  air  being  familiar  from  the  preceding  night's 
practice,  he  was  lost  sight  of  in  the  increasing  excite- 
ment, and  the  directors  flourished  their  white  wands  above 
their  heads,  and  kept  time  to  the  music  with  their  feet, 
while  their  voices  in  increasing  volume  rang  out  in  the 
words  and  music  of 


The  Hymn  of  the  Nationality. 


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The  Hymn  of  the  Nationality.  323 


Hear!  O  hear!  ye  blessed  Trinity, 

These  mountains  strong,  in  ranges  long, 

Meet  homes  for  men  both  brave  and  free; 

These  rivers  deep  and  broad,  endued  with  power  from  God, 

To  bless  the  thirsty  land  anew: 

These  plains  as  vast  as  ages  past, 

We  dedicate  all  these  to  You. 


3- 

Sound,  trumpets,  sound!     To  all  on  earth  proclaim, 

That  Freedom's  laws  and  mankind's  cause, 

Till  now  so  oft  an  idle  name, 

Shall  here  find  royal  home,  and  quickly  overcome 

All  love  of  power  and  selfish  pride. 

And  God's  own  right,  not  man's  mere  might, 

Shall  be  this  people's  rule  and  guide. 

4- 

Call!   loud  call!   the  nations  to  the  war; 

Let  kingdoms  shake,  and  despots  quake, 

Let  all  their  vassals  from  afar, 

Summoned  in  cunning  haste,  men's  lives  and  souls  to  waste, 

Meet  in  God's  own  appointed  place, 

His  power  to  learn,  in  combat  stern, 

'Twixt  Freemen  and  the  tyrant  race. 

5- 

Smite,  sword,  smite!    and  spare  not  thou  to  slay; 
Let  cannon  speak,  and  bullet  shriek, 
In  this  the  Lord's  own  chosen  day, 


324  John  Harvey 

Avenge  His  people's  wrong,  which  they  have  suffered  long, 
And  let  the  oppressor's  hireling  band, 
Stern  foemen  meet,  and  find  defeat, 
And  no  more  foothold  in  the  land. 


Hail!    all    hail!    Sweet  Freedom's  glorious  reign, 

The  battle  past,  in  peace  at  last, 

We  rest  beneath  her  shield  again, 

An  army  nobly  grand,  with  might  and  keen-edged  brand, 

Quick  to  do  battle  at  her  word, 

From  powers  of  sin,  the  day  to  win, 

For  Man,  for  Freedom  and  for  God. 

When  the  third  verse  was  reached  the  excitement 
grew  greater,  and  became  still  more  intense  with  the 
singing  of  the  remaining  ones.  Men  in  the  audience 
waved  their  hats  and  gesticulated  wildly,  and  embraced 
each  other  while  tears  ran  down  their  cheeks. 

I  looked  at  Clothilde,  my  attention  being  drawn  to 
her  by  the  tightened  clasp  of  her  hand.  She  seemed  un- 
conscious of  my  presence;  her  eyes  were  flashing  and 
her  face  was  glowing;  the  martial  spirit  had  evidently  full 
possession  of  her,  as  it  had  indeed  of  every  one  in  all  that 
great  audience. 

The  hymn  was  no  sooner  finished  than  it  was  again 
begun,  and  repeated  with  still  greater  effect.  As,  how- 
ever, it  neared  its  termination  the  second  time,  St.  John, 
who  had  from  the  platform  been  intently  watching  the 
proceedings,  threw  himself  at  the  head  of  the  column,  and 
gave  the  order  to  quarter  face  and  to  march,  and  the 
whole  column  was  in  a  moment  in  motion  down  the 
boulevard,  from  whence  they  moved  through  the  city 
toward  the  passenger  station,  still  singing  the  song  which 


The  Hymn  of  the  Nationality  325 

the  action  of  that  day  was  destined  to  render  immortal. 

Two  months  later  it  was  sung  in  every  town,  village, 
and  hamlet  of  the  Nationality,  and  soon  it  had  reached 
every  portion  of  the  United  States,  and  proved  its  power 
by  rousing  like  enthusiasm  everywhere. 

The  young  man  who  had  led  in  the  singing  of  it  was 
unknown,  and  though  inquired  after  could  never  be  posi- 
tively identified.  It  was  supposed  by  some  that  he  was 
the  author  of  the  song,  and  by  others  that  he  was  simply 
a  person  acquainted  with  the  words  and  the  music,  who 
in  a  moment  of  patriotic  excitement  had  performed  an 
act  which  might  have  immortalized  him  had  his  name 
been  discovered. 

From  this  scene  Clothilde  and  I  wended  our  way 
back  slowly  and  almost  silently  to  her  father's  house.  In 
fact,  much  conversation  or  rapid  movement  was  out  of 
the  question  that  day.  The  main  streets  were  crowded, 
and  groups  cf  men  stood  discussing  events,  or  still  listen- 
ing to  the  distant  voices  of  the  labor  directors,  who  were 
yet  moving  in  a  circuitous  route  toward  the  railway  sta- 
tion. 

At  last,  however,  we  reached  the  house,  and  Clo- 
thilde asked  me  in.  She  was  evidently  much  agitated, 
and  excused  herself  from  the  room,  and  when  she  re- 
turned some  little  time  after  I  could  see  traces  of  tears 
plainly  visible  in  her  dark  eyes. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

THE  REVELATION. 

For  a  few  days  succeeding  the  departure  of  the  labor 
directors  there  was  constant  excitement  in  Neuropolis, 
and  from  the  newspaper  reports  it  was  evident  that  this 
was  not  confined  to  the  citizens  of  the  Nationality.  Full 
accounts  of  the  proceedings  of  the  25th  were  published 
in  the  Eastern  papers,  and  it  was  obvious  that  the  power 
and  unanimity  displayed,  and  the  intensity  of  the  loyalty 
of  the  people  of  the  Nationality  to  their  principles  had 
created  a  deep  impression. 

The  governors  of  the  Pacific  coast  states,  of  some  of 
the  Southern  states,  and  those  of  Iowa,  Minnesota,  and 
Wisconsin,  had  already,  in  accordance  with  the  request 
of  the  Parliament  of  the  Nationality,  appointed  commis- 
sioners to  visit  its  territory  at  an  early  day.  In  the  East- 
ern states  the  feeling  was  abroad  that  such  an  appoint- 
ment would  recognize  an  organization  which  had  no  va- 
lidity, and  the  invitation  was  almost  universally  disre- 
garded. 

Two  great  military  camps,  each  containing  now 
about  one  hundred  thousand  men,  were  established  with- 
in the  borders  of  the  Nationality,  one  which  I  had  seen  in 
Nebraska,  near  the  Missouri  River,  and  the  other  at 
Neuropolis,  on  the  western  bank  of  the  great  canal.  The 
smaller  one,  formerly  spoken  of,  near  its  head,  now  con- 
tained twenty-five  thousand  men.  In  forty-eight  hours 
troops  from  these  camps  could  be  concentrated  on  any 
point  liable  to  attack,  and  at  any  time  after  Che  30th  of 

3*6 


The  Revelation  327 

November  they  could  have  been  quickly  and  largely  re*- 
enforced  from  other  portions  of  the  Nationality.  Such 
was  the  advantage  of  its  labor  and  railroad  systems, 
which  converted  the  entire  able-bodied  population  into 
one  great  army  capable  of  unparalleled  mobilization. 

On  the  great  inland  rivers  the  government  deemed 
itself  supreme.  Besides  the  gunboats  I  had  seen  at  Cin- 
cinnati and  St.  Louis,  it  had  fully  twenty  others  on  these 
waters,  many  of  them  carrying  powerful  guns.  It  had 
also  a  large  number  of  vessels  of  smaller  draft  in  process 
of  construction,  designed  to  ascend  the  Upper  Missouri 
River  and  control,  or  destroy,  if  necessary,  the  head  gates 
of  the  great  canal,  and  compel  submission  by  depriving 
the  Nationality  of  its  principal  supply  of  water. 

Shortly  after  the  President's  call  for  troops  I  had, 
however,  been  informed  that  six  gunboats,  composed 
of  the  white  metal,  were  nearly  completed  at  Bilboa,  and 
would  be  launched  on  the  Upper  Missouri,  and  be  amply 
able  to  defend  it. 

It  was  now  the  8th  of  December,  and  I  had  been 
twice  at  Mr.  Beyresen's  since  the  final  meeting  of  the 
labor  directors;  my  other  and  increasing  engagements 
having  prevented  me  from  more  frequent  calls.  On 
neither  of  these  occasions  had  I  opportunty  to  speak  for 
any  length  of  time  with  Clothilde,  though  I  wished  to  do 
so,  for  she  was  evidently  much  agitated  and  disturbed 
by  the  approaching  troubles. 

On  the  afternoon  of  that  day  I  received  a  note  from 
her  asking  me  if  I  could  spend  an  hour,  or  so,  with  her 
that  evening.  The  note  went  on  to  say  the  next  day 
would  answer  if  more  convenient,  that  she  hoped  she 
was  not  giving  me  unnecessary  trouble,  but  she  wished 
to  see  me  as  soon  as  possible. 

In  the  evening  I  presented  myself  at  Mr.  Beyresen's, 


328  John  Harvey 

and  found  Clothilde  waiting  for  me.  She  shook  hands 
with  me,  though  in  a  somewhat  embarrassed  way,  and 
after  seeing  me  seated,  moved  about  the  room,  arrang- 
ing articles  I  thought  a  little  uselessly  and  nervously. 
There  was  a  saddened  look  in  her  large  hazel  eyes  that 
I  had  noticed  frequently  of  late,  and  which  had  caused  me 
some  anxiety. 

At  last  she  sat  down  near  me  and  said  in  a  tone  of 
quiet  badinage:  "I  am  obliged  to  you  for  coming,  Mr. 
Herbert.  I  wanted  to  see  you,  and  have  a  good  talk  with 
you.  Do  you  remember  I  once  told  you  I  might  some 
time  show  you  my  own  particular  habitation?  I  wanted 
your  opinion  of  it.  That  was  when  you  were  plain  Mr. 
Maxwell,  but  since  you  have  become  a  lord  I  do  not 
know  whether  to  do  so  or  not." 

I  thought  I  saw  what  she  desired,  and  answered:  "I 
should  very  much  like  to  see  your  room ;  I  can  leave  my 
lordship  outside  if  you  wish,  Clothilde." 

"Indeed  I  do,"  she  replied,  earnestly.  "I  want  only 
yourself,  your  best  self.  Will  you  come  now,  Mr.  Her- 
bert?" she  continued,  rising  and  moving  toward  a  door 
in  the  south  side  of  the  room. 

I  followed  her  along  a  short  hall,  through  another 
door,  into  a  large  and  beautiful  apartment.  A  tiled  fire- 
place, in  which  glowed  a  clear  fire,  occupied  the  center 
of  one  side,  above  which  rose  a  broad  low  marble  mantel; 
stained  glass  windows  occupied  the  space  on  each  side  of 
it,  and  a  superb  grand  piano  stood  across  part  of  the  west 
end  of  the  room,  a  doorway  with  a  heavy  silken  portiere 
occupying  the  remaining  space.  The  walls  on  the  north 
and  east  sides,  as  well  as  the  space  above  the  piano  were 
hung  with  fine  paintings  and  engravings,  the  work  of  the 
best  artists.  The  tapestries  and  hangings  were  of  the 
most  delicate  shades;  the  floor  was  covered  with  Turkish 


The  Revelation  329 

and  Persian  rugs,  and  an  elegant  tiger  skin  was  spread 
before  the  fire  place.  Several  busts  of  composers  stood 
on  pedestals;  a  large  ivory  table  exquisitely  carved  was 
placed  near  the  center  of  the  room,  and  smaller  ones  of 
rare  and  costly  woods  occupied  places  by  walls  and  in 
corners.  An  ottoman  was  drawn  up  on  one  side  the  fire 
place,  and  an  easy-chair  on  the  other.  A  few  other  chairs 
superbly  carved  were  scattered  about  the  room,  and  a 
full  length  mirror  set  in  frosted  silver  occupied  a  portion 
of  the  wall  on  the  east  side. 

The  apartment  presented  a  tout  ensemble,  unique, 
delicate,  and  elegant,  that  called  forth  my  admiration. 

"This,"  said  Clothilde,  "is  my  sitting-room,  and  I 
pray,  you,  sir,  be  seated." 

"Pardon  me,"  I  replied,  "but  I  really  want  to  look 
at  the  room,"  and  I  began  to  examine  the  paintings  and 
the  various  bric-a-brac,  etagerie,  and  other  objects  scat- 
tered about. 

I  observed  two  very  rare  vases  of  the  choicest  Euro- 
pean manufacture,  and  many  articles  of  gold  and  silver, 
and  others  ornamented  with  these  metals.  In  fact,  every 
object  showed  taste  and  elegance,  without  care  for  cost. 

For  some  time  Clothilde  followed  me,  explaining 
things,  but  at  last  she  grew  impatient  and  exclaimed: 
"Won't  you  take  the  large  arm-chair  by  the  fire,  Mr. 
Maxwell?  That  is  Mr.  Beyresen's  chair;  he  is  the  only 
other  gentleman  visitor  I  have  ever  admitted  here.  Now 
tell  me  what  you  think  of  my  room." 

She  was  standing  by  the  corner  of  the  mantel,  rest- 
ing her  right  elbow  upon  it,  and  there  was  still  the  same 
expression  of  sadness  on  her  face. 

"Won't  you  sit  down?"  I  inquired. 

"No,"  she  replied,  "if  you  will  excuse  me  I  will  stand. 


330  John  Harvey 

I  have  been  sitting  all  day.  You  can  talk  to  me  from 
where  you  are." 

"I  have  not  examined  your  room  and  its  rare  con- 
tents as  carefully  as  they  merit,"  I  answered.  "I  could 
not  tell  what  masters  painted  the  pictures  upon  its  walls, 
or  in  what  city  of  Europe  those  delicate  hangings  were 
made ;  nor  from  what  Oriental  mart  the  rugs  on  the  floors 
came;  but  I  can  say  'that,  in  its  beauty  and  its  grace  and 
loveliness,  the  room  seems  to  me  a  fit  dwelling-place  for 
its  mistress." 

"Mr.  Maxwell,"  she  said,  starting  forward,  "I  did  not 
bring  you  here  that  you  might  compliment  me."  She 
hesitated.  "Our  conversation  has  gone  wrong,"  she  con- 
tinued, "though  for  that  I  have  myself  to  blame.  I  asked 
you  here  that  I  might  explain,  that  I  might  beg  a  favor 
of  you,  and  I  hardly  know  how  to  begin." 

She  was  very  earnest,  and  she  had  approached  nearer 
to  me,  in  fact  was  standing  beside  the  arm  of  my  chair, 
resting  her  right  hand  on  it  and  looking  down  upon  me. 

"Surely  you  are  not  afraid,"  I  replied.  "Surely  you 
know,  Clothilde,  that  I  would  do  anything  I  could  for 
you." 

"I  believe  that,"  she  said,  "otherwise  I  could  not  ask 
you.  I  have  hesitated  to  explain;  I  thought  likely  you 
might  find  out  yourself,  but  you  did  not." 

"Clothilde!"  I  cried,  "what  is  there  to  explain?" 

"Mr.  Maxwell,"  she  said,  "there  is  no  cause  for  ap- 
prehension, not  the  least,  but,  please,  look  at  me  closely, 
for  in  a  moment  you  will  know  me  no  longer  as  Clothilde 
Beyresen,  but  by  another  name." 

I  looked  up  in  her  face  astonished,  and  she  returned 
my  gaze  in  silence  for  a  few  seconds,  and  then  in  a  low, 
plaintive  voice  added:    "I  am  John  Harvey's  daughter." 

It  was  a  revelation,  a  surprise. 


Hie  Revelation  331 

"Clothilde!"  I  rather  gasped  than  spoke. 

"Yes,  Clothilde,"  s'he  said  in  the  same  plaintive  tone. 
"I  am  Clothilde  still,  but  not  Clothilde  Beyresen;  I  am 
Clothilde  Harvey." 

She  paused  and  we  were  both  silent,  I  thinking  over 
the  past,  she  of  the  present. 

She  spoke  again:  "Do  you  know  me,  Mr.  Herbert? 
Shall  I  ask  my  favor  of  you?" 

"Know  you!"I  cried.  "Could  I  ever  forget  you  by 
any  name?  Stay  Clothilde,  if  you  would  but  change  your 
name  once  more." 

A  faint  color  came  into  her  cheek.  "By  no  means," 
she  said.  "I  am  proud  of  my  own  name.  That  was  not 
the  favor  I  had  to  ask." 

"It  is  the  favor  that  I  ask,  Clothilde,"  I  said,  "that  I 
have  been  asking,  that  I  shall  always  ask;  that  you  will 
grant  me  some  time,  dear?" 

"Hush!"  she  said  gently,  "this  is  no  time  to  talk  in 
that  way.  We  may  be  very  near  friends;  we  may  need 
each  other;  we  may  help  each  other  in  the  trials  which 
seem  about  to  come;  we  must  not  talk  of  more  now.  I 
have  a  very  great  favor  to  ask  of  you,  }Jr.  Herbert,  one 
that  I  know  a  man  like  you  will  grant  to  a  girl  like  me. 
It  may  involve  you  in  difficulty;  it  may  be  followed  by 
danger,  and  I  have  hesitated,  my  friend,  on  this  account 
to  ask  my  favor,  because  I  thought  of  these  things,  not 
because  I  feared  refusal.  It  will  be  necessary  first  to  tell 
you  more  of  my  father's  history  before  I  ask  my  favor." 

I  saw  that  she  was  very  much  agitated  and  I  begged 
her  to  sit  down. 

"No,"  s(he  said,  "I  would  rather  stand  by  you;  I  want 
you  to  stand  by  me  afterward,"  and  her  voice  was  tear- 
ful. "I  will  make  the  story  short;  I  could  not  bear  to 
make  it  long. 


332  John  Harvey 

"My  father,  John  Harvey,  gave  me  all  these  things 
you  see  around,  and  many  more.  He  was  the  noblest, 
kindest,  and  tenderest  of  fathers.  He  did  not  die  at  sea, 
Mr.  Herbert,  as  is  generally  supposed.  He  died  here  in 
this  city,  and  I,  his  daughter,  was  with  him  until  within 
a  few  hours  of  his  death.  My  father  died  heartbroken,  in 
the  prime  of  his  life,  within  a  year  after  that  awful  battle 
in  the  English  Channel  of  which  you  yourself  told  me 
in  the  other  room.  He  was  a  proud  man;  when  he  re- 
turned home  he  found  himself  almost  an  alien.  At  first 
the  advantage  of  his  act  to  his  own  country  was  acknowl- 
edged, but  a  demand  was  privately  made  upon  him  by  his 
government  for  two  things:  the  first  was  for  the  booty 
he  had  taken ;  you  saw  a  part  of  it  in  the  treasury  vault ; 
I  showed  it  to  you,  Mr.  Herbert,  very  foolishly,  because 
you  had  spoken  so  harshly  of  my  father. 

"This  booty  he  would  have  given  to  his  govern- 
ment, but  they  asked  one  thing  more,  and  that  my  father 
would  not  grant.  They  demanded  of  him  the  secret  of 
the  fearful  explosive  with  which  he  wrought  such  havoc 
among  the  English  ships.  This  he  would  not  reveal,  and 
they  then  branded  him  as  an  outlaw,  and  threatened  if 
he  would  not  yield  to  take  possession  of  all  he  had  by 
force.  My  father  was  a  wise  man,  and  saw  the  result.  He 
could  not  treat  his  own  countrymen  as  he  had  their  ene- 
mies; he  was  too  loyal  for  that,  and  such  a  course  would 
have  made  him  indeed  an  outlaw.  He  could  not  let  them 
have  his  secret;  they  might  use  it  unwisely;  it  was  the 
Money  Power  then,  as  now,  that  governed  the  country. 
Besides,  he  had  determined  that  that  secret  should  there- 
after be  used  only  to  prevent  war. 

"My  father  bitterly  repented  his  act  in  the  British 
Channel.  I  was  then  a  girl  of  eighteen,  but  I  was  much 
like  him,  and  he  confided  in  me,  and  told  me  all  these 


The  Revelation  333 

things.  He  kept  his  own  counsel  and  temporized'  with 
the  government.  He  quietly  removed  his  treasure  from 
his  vessel  and  brought  it  here.  He  brought  me  here  also, 
and  because  it  was  unsafe  to  be  known  I  was  represented 
as  the  eldest  daughter  of  Councilor  Beyresen,  and  have 
been  so  considered  except  by  a  few  who  know  my  his- 
tory, and  they  called  me  princess,  a  title  soon  adopted  by 
the  rest. 

"My  father  went  back  to  Xew  York  with  a  few  men 
in  whom  he  could  rely.  He  hired  a  companion  vessel 
and  secretly  put  to  sea.  Out  in  the  ocean  he  scuttled  the 
Albatross,  entered  the  other  vessel,  and  returned  by  way 
of  Corpus  Christi  to  the  Nationality.  He  was  a  changed, 
heartbroken  man.  He  was  in  his  own  country,  but  it 
knew  him  not;  he  was  among  his  own  people,  but  un- 
known to  them.  I  cheered  him  what  I  could,  but  he 
lived  only  a  year.  He  made  all  preparations  for  his  burial, 
and  for  the  disposition  of  his  property.  He  gave  all  that 
he  had,  which  was  many  millions,  to  the  Nationality,  ex- 
cept his  last  acquired  treasure,  and  that  he  left  to  me,  to 
be  kept  in  my  own  vault  in  the  treasury,  to  which  I  was 
to  have  access  at  any  time  by  day  or  night.  It  was  to  be 
used  at  my  discretion,  for  myself  if  I  sorely  needed  it,  or 
for  the  Nationality. 

"My  father  was  buried  in  the  crypt  of  the  Adminis- 
tration Building,  and  the  secret  of  his  terrible  explosive  is 
contained  within  his  tomb,  to  be  exhumed  if  at  any  time 
the  life  of  the  Nationality  be  imperiled  by  outside  ene- 
mies. 

"Four  persons  named  by  my  father,  and  I  myself, 
were  present  at  his  burial.  My  father  gave  me  the  key 
to  open  the  tomb.  I  am,  if  living,  to  choose  one  of  the 
four  to  do  it.  I  must  give  the  key  to  that  person  there, 
and  after  using  it  he  must  return  it  to  me.    The  same  five 


334  John  Harvey 

persons  who  were  present  at  his  burial,  are,  if  alive,  to  be 
present  when  the  tomb  is  opened.  If  any  of  them  die,  I, 
if  living,  am  to  choose  another,  two  of  the  other  three 
agreeing  in  my  choice.    If  I  am  gone  they  fill  my  place. 

"It  has  been  decided  that  the  preservation  of  the  Na- 
tionality demands  that  the  secret  should  be  disentombed. 

"This  is  the  story,  Mr.  Herbert.  Can  you  imagine 
the  favor  I  have  to  ask  of  you?  One  of  these  four  per- 
sons is  dead,  and  I  have  chosen  you  to  take  his  place  and 
stand  by  me,  and  open  'the  tomb,  and  recover  the  secret. 
I  wanted  you  by  me,  but  I  hesitated  to  ask  you  to  connect 
yourself  with  this  fearful  explosive.  If  you  do,  I  under- 
stand it  is  proposed  to  appoint  you  to  conduct  the  experi- 
ments necessarily  attending  it  and  to  have  charge  of  it 
thereafter." 

"Clothilde,"  I  said,  "do  you  doubt  my  willingness? 
I  would  stand  by  you  in  any  emergency.  And  if  I  am 
afterward  to  have  control  of  this  destructive  agent  I  can 
direct  its  use  wisely  so  as  to  secure  peace." 

"You  cannot  imagine,"  she  said,  "the  service  you  do 
me.  I  think  I  realize  how  few  would  be  willing  to  share 
this  duty  with  me." 

"I  will  do  it  most  willingly,"  I  said. 

"And  I  thank  you  for  it  most  earnestly,"  she  replied. 

For  a  few  moments  there  was  silence  between  us. 
"Then,"  she  continued,  "at  10  o'clock  on  the  night  of  the 
nth,  you,  I  and  three  others,  will  meet  at  Mr.  Bevresen's 
room;  there  we  shall  receive  further  instruction.  Do  not 
please  come  to  see  me  again  before  this  is  over.  I'll  bid 
you  good-night  now;  we  have  talked  a  good  while  and 
it  is  very  late." 

"One  word  more,  Clothilde,"  I  said.  "Have  you  a 
portrait  of  your  father;  one  that  I  could  carry  home  with 
me?" 


The  Revelation  335 

She  went  into  the  next-room  and  soon  returned  with 
an  ivory-type,  and  gave  it  to  me.  I  looked  at  it,  and  at 
her. 

"There  is  a  great  resemblance,"  I  said.  "You  are 
very  like ;  I  have  been  blind  not  to  have  seen  it.  I  thought 
you  resembled  some  one  I  had  met;  your  face  always 
seemed  strangely  familiar;  I  ought  to  have  known  you." 

I  could  see  that  she  was  pleased,  for  her  tired  ex- 
pression changed. 

"But  you  did  not,"  she  said.  "Remember  me  now, 
please,  as  Clothilde  Karvey,  though  I  am  Clothilde  Bey- 
resen  in  public.  I  have  had  to  remember  you  as  Lord 
Dudley  really,  but  as  Mr.  Herbert  Maxwell  in  public. 
It  has  been  a  strange  comedy  of  errors,  and  it  is  not 
ended;  I  wish  it  were.  I  will  go  with  you  to  the  door, 
Mr.  Herbert,  and  I  thank  you  again  for  your  great  kind- 
ness." 

I  departed,  pondering  deeply  over  the  story  so  simply 
and  yet  so  earnestly  told.  This  was  the  girl,  who  as  the 
daughter  of  John  Beyresen,  I  supposed  had  lived  a  quiet 
and  comparatively  uneventful  life.  She  had  told  me  noth- 
ing of  herself,  but  I  knew  well  now  that  hers  had  been 
a  strange  and  tragical  story. 

She  had  stood  by  the  deathbed  of  her  father,  one 
of  the  most  commanding  figures  of  the  century ;  she  had 
seen  him  die  unknown  and  almost  unwept.  She  had 
lived  under  an  assumed  name  in  an  unaccustomed  sphere. 
She  had  taken  up  and  performed  her  new  duties,  and  won 
for  herself  the  love  and  respect  of  all  around  her.  She  had 
in  fact  been  impoverished  and  orphaned  for  the  good  of 
this  people,  and  yet  she  had  been  always  loyal  to  them. 

I  was  astonished  at  her  great-heartedness,  her  mag- 
nanimitv,  her  strength  of  character.  I  wondered  at  her 
unselfishness,  her  vivacity,  her  uniform  cheerfulness.  And 


336  John  Harvey 

as  I  reflected  on  her  conduct  to  me  a  stranger,  I  was  yet 
more  astonished.  Almost  at  our  first  acquaintance  I 
had  spoken  harshly  of  a  father  whom  she  loved  most 
dearly,  yet  though  very  angry,  she  had  not  discarded  me. 
She  seemed  to  know  me  thoroughly,  and  to  trust  me.  She 
had  been  very  fearless  in  her  conduct,  and  yet  not  repel- 
lent; and,  finally,  she  had  disclosed  to  me  the  secrets  of 
the  Nationality  and  her  family,  and  asked  me  confidently 
to  do  that  which  few  persons  would  have  cared  to  ask  of 
any  one  except  a  lifelong  friend. 

I  knew  that  she  had  committed  no  error  in  her 
choice.  I  knew  that  I  would  sooner  die  than  reveal  one 
iota  of  that  with  which  she  had  trusted  me,  but  how  did 
it  happen  that  this  girl,  who  had  so  constantly  refused  to 
ally  herself  to  me  by  dearer  ties,  had  revealed  such  mo- 
mentous secrets  and  asked  me  to  perform  such  duties? 

After  I  arrived  at  home  I  examined  the  picture  care- 
fully. It  was  John  Harvey  at  the  age  of  forty,  in  his  ma- 
ture and  yet  younger  days,  and  I  could  see  Clothilde's  re- 
semblance to  her  father  in  a  hundred  ways,  modified,  yet 
very  evident.  The  night  of  the  ball  on  the  Albatross 
rushed  into  my  memory,  and  with  it  came  the  image  of  a 
girl  with  whom  I  had  then  talked  and  danced,  who  gave 
me  a  foreign  name  as  her  own,  and  who  was  full  of 
piquancy,  mirth,  and  wit.  She  was  the  same  girl  to 
whom  the  next  morning,  as  she  sat  by  the  open  porthole, 
I  gave  my  warning  message,  Which  care  for  her  safety 
had  principally  incited. 

I  had  not  told  Clothilde  all  about  this  girl.  I  had 
indeed  been  so  much  attracted  by  her  that  I  had  made 
many  efforts  to  discover  her,  almost  as  many  as  I  had  to 
find  my  little  love  of  six  years  old. 

A  thought  flashed  upon  me;  could  it  be  possible  that 
this  girl  was  John  Harvey's  daughter;  was  Clothilde  her- 


The  Revelation  337 

self?  I  recalled  her  unguarded  statement  about  the  mes- 
sage, and  how  adroitly  she  had  lulled  my  suspicions  of 
her  knowledge;  and  I  was  almost  satisfied  that  she  and 
the  young  girl  were  the  same.  I  will  find  out,  thought  I, 
but  I,  too,  will  be  adroit  and  strategic.  I  will  have  some 
sort  of  promise  out  of  this  discovery,  if  possible;  at  all 
events  I  will  get  at  the  truth  of  this  matter. 

And  thus  pondering,  and  by  turns  pitying  my  lady- 
love with  a  great  compassion,  and  then  forming  plans  to 
circumvent  and  surprise  her,  I  fell  asleep,  and  she  held 
chief  place  in  my  dreams. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

THE  TOMB. 

Strange  changes  are  often  wrought  in  our  feelings 
and  actions  by  the  lapse  of  time,  and  influence  of  unfore- 
seen circumstances. 

I  had  accepted  the  responsibility  of  participating  in 
the  resurrection  of  that  terrible  secret  which  some  years 
before  had  proven  the  destruction  of  the  proud  ship  on 
which  I  held  command.  But  this  was  no  time  for  hesita- 
tion, and  I  was  not  one  to  give  a  half-hearted  allegiance 
to  a  cause  I  deemed  just.  The  government  would  use  the 
latest  improved  weapons,  and  the  most  powerful  explos- 
ives known  to  modern  warfare,  in  dealing  with  its  sub- 
jects; that  much  could  be  said  in  palliation  of  the  intended 
procedure  of  the  Nationality. 

I  had  little  knowledge  of  the  manner  in  which  John 
Harvey's  secret  was  to  be  recovered,  but  I  was  aware 
from  the  way  Clothilde  had  spoken  that  it  was  an  ordeal 
she  dreaded. 

At  10  o'clock  on  the  night  of  the  nth  I  knocked  at 
the  door  of  Mr.  Beyresen's  chambers  in  the  Administra- 
tion Building,  and  was  admitted  and  shown  into  an  inner 
room.  I  found  there  four  persons — John  Paul,  who  had 
been  hastily  summoned  from  Washington  for  this  occa- 
sion; Clothilde,  and  Mr.  Beyresen,  and  to  my  surprise 
St.  John,  whom  I  should  never  have  suspected  of  being 
trusted  with  so  important  a  secret. 

Clothilde  was  very  nervous  and  evidently  only  kept 
her  feelings  in  check  by  a  strong  effort  of  will.     She 

338 


The   Tomb  329 

smiled  appreciatively  at  me,  as  if  to  thank  me,  but  spoke 
little.     She  was  dressed  in  white,  which  made  a  striking? 

o 

contrast  with  the  black  suits  worn  by  the  gentlemen. 

A  few  minutes  after  I  entered,  Senator  Paul  rose 
and  said :  "The  time  passes,  and  we  will  proceed  at  once 
to  the  performance  of  the  duty  imposed  upon  us.  Marshal 
St.  John,  will  you  attend  the  princess,  and  follow  me? 
And  you,  Lord  Dudley,  and  Councilor  Beyresen,  please 
walk  together,  and  come  after." 

We  proceeded  in  the  order  he  had  named  from  Mr. 
Beyresen's  room  to  the  treasury  department,  and  from 
thence,  by  the  same  passage  which  Clothilde  and  I  had 
followed,  until  we  reached  the  outside  door  of  the  vault 
we  had  visited.  This  the  senator  opened  in  the  same  man- 
ner, and  with  the  same  precautions  Clothilde  had  em- 
ployed, and  we  stood  in  the  ante-chamber.  There  were 
two  closed  doors  in  it;  the  one  by  which  Clothilde  and  I 
had  formerly  entered,  and  another  which  Senator  Paul 
now  unlocked,  disclosing  a  vault  about  the  length,  but 
somewhat  wider  than  the  one  I  had  previously  seen. 

The  senator  proceeded,  without  delay,  and  in  silence, 
toward  a  polished  granite  shaft  nearly  four  feet  in  height, 
which  stood  in  the  center  of  the  vault.  A  small  box  was 
placed  upon  it,  made  of  the  black  metal,  and  of  about  the 
same  dimensions  as  the  one  I  had  before  vainly  attempted 
to  lift. 

Senator  Paul  took  his  place  by  the  side  of  the  shaft, 
and  we  grouped  ourselves  around  it,  and  he,  Clothilde  and 
St.  John,  each  produced  a  key,  which  they  fitted  into  cor- 
responding holes  on  different  sides  of  the  box,  and  on 
turning  them  it  was  unlocked  and  was  easily  opened,  its 
top  sliding  backward  in  a  groove.  Within  it  there  were 
two  very  flat  keys  made  of  the  black  metal.  These  Sen- 
ator Paul  took  out,  the  box  was  then  closed,  and  we  dc- 


3-j.o  John  Harvey 

parted  from  the  vault  in  the  same  order  in  which  we  had 
entered. 

We  passed  under  the  great  arch  of  the  dome  to  the 
eastern  side  of  the  building,  and  down  a  narrow  corridor, 
until  Senator  Paul  stopped  before  a  panel  in  the  marble 
wall,  and  after  a  short  search  found  a  small  aperture  into 
which  he  inserted  one  of  the  flat  keys.  This  panel,  which 
was  made  of  the  white  metal,  opened  inwardly;  we  all 
passed  through  quickly  and  the  door,  or  panel,  was  as 
quickly  closed  behind  us. 

We  were  left  for  a  moment  in  darkness,  but  on  touch- 
ing a  button,  electric  lights  sprang  into  glow.  We  were 
in  a  hall,  probably  twenty  feet  long  and  six  feet  broad, 
closed  in  on  all  sides  by  stone  walls.  At  its  farther  end  a 
flight  of  stone  steps  descended,  and  we  now  proceeded 
down  these  toward  the  foundation  of  the  building.  When 
we  had  descended  twenty-four  steps,  we  reached  a  square 
landing,  from  which  the  stairway  turned  at  right  angles 
to  its  former  course.  When  we  had  gone  down  twenty- 
four  steps  farther,  a  similar  landing  was  reached  and  a 
similar  turn  repeated,  and  I  soon  found  that  the  steps 
were  built  around  a  square  of  masonry  about  twenty- 
four  feet  in  diameter. 

The  descent  was  long  and  fatiguing,  but  when  we 
had  passed  down  one  hundred  and  twenty  of  these  steps, 
and  were,  as  I  calculated,  at  least  sixty  feet  below  the  level 
at  Which  we  had  started,  the  stairway  ceased,  being  barred 
by  what  seemed  a  solid  wall  of  masonry. 

After  some  little  search,  however,  Senator  Paul 
found  an  aperture  into  which  he  inserted  the  second  key, 
and  another  door  of  the  white  metal  opened. 

We  entered,  the  door  was  closed,  and  we  stood  in  a 
room  about  eighteen  feet  square,  furnished  with  chairs, 
and  a  table  of  white  metal  near  which,  on  a  granite  ped- 


The    Tomb  341 

estal,  like  that  in  the  vault  above,  was  a  simi1ar  box  of 
the  black  metal.  The  room  was  lighted  by  electricity,  but 
had  no  visible  opening,  even  the  one  through  which  we 
had  entered  being  now  indistinguishable. 

We  sat  down  together  near  the  table,  Senator  Paul 
close  by  it,  and  all  rested  in  silence  for  a  few  moments. 
Then  the  Senator  arose  and  spoke  as  follows:  "This 
room  was  opened  last  when  five  years  ago  we  consigned 
to  the  tomb  the  mortal  remains  of  a  great  man,  who  lived 
a  noble  and  useful  life,  and  died  misunderstood  and  wil- 
fully misjudged,  but  whose  memory  is  held  dear  in  the 
hearts  of  his  friends,  and  who  will  yet  be  honored  by  his 
countrymen  as  the  greatest  hero  and  philanthropist  of 
modern  times. 

"A  few  nights  before  John  Harvey  died  he  committed 
to  his  daughter,  and  to  four  of  his  nearest  friends,  who 
knew  his  history,  certain  trusts  pertaining  to  the  Nation- 
ality he  had  founded,  accompanied  with  precise  direc- 
tions how  to  use  them  if  necessity  demanded,  and  bound 
them  by  a  solemn  oath  to  the  performance  of  these  trusts. 

"Of  the  five  persons  who  were  then  present  I  see  but 
four  here  now,  and  it  is  well  known  to  us  that  the  fifth 
one  has  been  recently  removed  by  Almighty  God  from 
earth. 

"In  such  a  contingency,  foreseen  as  very  possible,  cer- 
tain provisions  were  made  by  John  Harvey  for  the  ap- 
pointment and  qualification  of  a  sucessor,  that  the  num- 
ber might  be  kept  complete,  and  it  is  now  necessary  for 
me  to  ascertain  whether  these  provisions  have  thus  far 
been  properly  complied  with.  Will  you  all,  therefore, 
please  rise?  It  becomes  my  duty,  Lord  Dudley,  to  ask 
you  formally  whether  you  are  present  here  by  invitation 
for  the  purpose  of  filling  the  vacancy  thus  occasioned, 
and  whether  you  are  willing  so  to  do?*' 


342  John  Harvey 

I  answered  both  of  these  questions  affirmatively. 

"Then,"  said  Senator  Paul,  "I  must  ask  these  other 
persons  present  to  state  by  whose  invitation  Lord  Dudley 
is  here?" 

"By  mine,"  said  Clothilde  in  a  low  voice. 

"What  others  vouch  for  him?"  continued  the  Sen- 
ator. 

"I  do,"  said  Mr.  Beyresen.  "And  I,  also,"  said  the 
Senator,  and  turned  to  St.  John. 

"I  know  little  of  Lord  Dudley,"  said  the  latter,  "but 
I  can  trust  the  worthiness  of  the  nominee  of  John  Har- 
vey's daughter,  and  the  endorsement  of  the  others." 

"Then,"  said  the  Senator,  "it  now  only  remains  for 
me,  before  we  proceed  further,  to  administer  for  the  first 
time  to  Lord  Dudley,  better  known  among  us  as  Mr. 
Herbert  Maxwell,  the  oath  of  secrecy  and  loyalty,  which 
the  rest  of  us  will  also  repeat,  as  a  reminder  of  former 
oaths  to  the  same  purpose  taken. 

"Will  you  all,  therefore,  join  with  me  as  I  read  from 
this  manual  one  of  the  most  solemn  oaths  ever  taken  by 
man,  pledging  ourselves  to  the  utmost  secrecy  in  regard 
to  all  that  has  happened,  or  may  hereafter  happen  in  this 
room,  or  at  the  tomb  of  John  Harvey,  or  in  regard  to 
anything  we  may  have  learned,  or  may  hereafter  learn 
touching  his  death,  his  will,  his  sayings,  his  writings, 
and  the  intentions  expressed  therein,  not  now  generally 
known  to  the  public,  and  also  to  the  utmost  loyalty  to  the 
cause  and  the  principles  which  he  advocated  and  cher- 
ished, made  publicly  known  and  practically  expressed, 
in  the  organization  called  the  Nationality,  and  to  the  ut- 
most zeal  in  the  defense  and  preservation  of  those  prin- 
ciples and  that  organization,  even  unto  the  death.  Are 
you  ready  so  to  join  me,  comrades?" 

We  all  signified  our  willingness.    He  then  read  from 


The    Tomb  343 

a  small  manual,  we  joining  him,  an  oath  in  character  such 
a?,  he  had  indicated,  and  at  its  conclusion  asked  heaven  to 
register  the  vows  thus  taken. 

There  was  a  moment's  silence,  and  then  the  Senator 
continued:  "A  few  nights  before  John  Harvey  died  he 
gave  to  us,  his  friends,  full  working  plans  and  models  of 
the  vessel  called  the  Albatross,  and  of  its  armament,  from 
which  the  same  might  readily  be  reconstructed.  He  also 
enjoined  upon  us  to  sepulchre  his  body,  with  solemn  cere- 
monies, in  a  tomb  prepared  by  him,  not  to  be  visited  save 
as  directed  in  the  will  which  he  then  committed  to  our 
care. 

"He  informed  us,  on  that  night,  that  the  secret  of  the 
explosive  used  upon  the  Albatross  was  hidden  in  a  por- 
tion of  his  tomb,  to  be  exhumed  and  used  if  the  Nation- 
ality should  be  threatened  by  outside  enemies  and  powers 
with  invasion  or  destruction.  He  charged  us  and  those 
succeeding  us  to  destroy  this  secret  after  the  lapse  of 
thirty  years,  by  certain  means  which  would  hereafter  be 
made  known  to  us. 

"He  left  to  these  five  persons  and  their  successors  the 
prerogative  of  judgment  when  such  emergency  had 
come. 

"Some  time  ago  we  four  remaining  thought  that  it 
had  fully  come.  But  we  ask  your  judgment,  also,  Mr. 
Herbert  Maxwell,  as  to  whether  the  danger  threatening 
us  at  present  corresponds  with  that  John  Harvey  feared.'' 

I  answered  that  my  opinion  coincided  with  the 
others,  that  such  emergency  existed. 

Then  the  Senator  proceeded:  "Some  nights  before 
John  Harvey  died  he  gave  to  each  of  us  his  friends  a  key 
and  to  his  daughter  two,  three  of  them  to  open  the  black 
box  contained  within  the  vault  above,  in  which  box,  after 
his  burial,  we  placed  the  keys  you  saw  me  use  in  coming 


344  John  Harvey 

hither.  The  other  three  are  likewise  to  be  used  in  open- 
ing the  box  before  us,  in  which,  he  stated,  would  be  found 
some  other  keys,  and  full  directions  how  to  proceed  in 
obtaining  his  dread  secret.    This  box  we  shall  now  open." 

The  Senator,  Mr.  Beyresen,  and  Clothilde,  then  each 
produced  a  key,  and  unlocked  the  box  in  like  manner  as 
they  had  the  one  above. 

On  the  bottom  of  the  box  reposed  a  small  leather- 
covered  book,  on  which  lay  three  keys,  two  of  them  simi- 
lar to  those  with  which  the  doors  above  had  been  un- 
locked ;  the  other,  made  of  the  same  material,  was  some- 
what larger  and  its  handle  was  in  shape  of  a  cross.  A 
small  gold  chain,  attached  at  each  end  to  the  arms  of  the 
cross,  formed  a  loop  about  six  inches  in  length. 

At  a  gesture  from  the  Senator,  Clothilde  took  the 
chain  and  key,  and  he  the  other  keys  and  the  small  book, 
and  opening  the  latter,  turned  some  pages  and  read  sol- 
emnly and  reverently  from  it  thus : 

"The  hand  of  death  lies  heavy  on  me.  His  cold 
fingers  will  soon  close  my  eyes  and  still  my  pulses. 

"I  have  given  to  the  Nationality  which  I  have  found- 
ed, and  for  which  I  have  a  parent's  love,  all  my  riches,  my 
blessing,  and  my  secrets  save  one  only,  so  direful  and  so 
awful  in  its  character  that  I  had  thought  to  let  it  die 
with  me. 

"But  wherefore,  when  I  see  already  foes  arising, 
cunning  and  powerful,  and  dangers  coming,  from  which 
that  secret  wisely  used  could  save  my  people  and  my  land. 

"So  until  this  people  and  this  land  have  time  to  gather 
strength,  I  will  give  that  also  into  your  custody  and 
guardianship,  my  friends,  and  that  of  your  successors 
whoever  they  may  be,  charging  you  solemnly  that  you 
use  this  secret  only  for  defense  in  times  of  gravest  peril 


The    Tomb 


345 


from  outside  foes,  and  never  for  offense,  or  in  internal 
trouble. 

"I  charge  you  also  that  you  use  it  wisely,  for  pro- 
curing peace,  and  not  for  domination. 

"And  I  charge  you  also  that  on  the  first  day  of  the 
year  A.  D.  i960  you  destroy  this  secret  in  manner  as  I 
have  written  for  your  instruction  in  this  book. 

"I,  John  Harvey,  charge  you  now  again  to  do  this 
righteously,  and  in  the  spirit  of  my  wishes,  as  you  would 
answer  before  God. 

"Let  my  daughter,  if  she  be  alive,  or  her  successor, 
take  the  key  herein  contained,  suspending  it  around  her 
wrist  by  the  golden  chain.  Let  him  who  is  your  leader 
take  the  other  keys.  The  latter  are  for  doors  now  open, 
which  will  close  after  my  obsequies,  and  must  be  passed 
to  reach  my  sepulchre.  Approach  my  tomb  between  the 
hours  of  eleven  and  midnight.  Let  no  word  be  spoken 
after  you  leave  this  chamber  until  you  return. 

"Pass  quickly,  three  upon  the  left,  and  two,  my 
daughter  being  second,  upon  the  right  side  of  the  figure 
lying  on  the  tomb.  Let  my  daughter,  before  she  leaves 
this  room,  appoint  some  one  to  pass  before  her  on  the 
right  side  of  the  figure,  and  use  the  key  which  she  will 
give  him  only  after  all  have  taken  places. 

"Let  all  take  places  and  remain  upon  the  white  tiles 
on  the  floor,  with  their  faces  toward  the  tomb ;  the  person 
designated  by  my  daughter  on  the  right  of  the  figure 
nearest  its  head,  my  daughter  next  him;  the  others  on 
the  other  side  indifferently. 

"When  there  is  perfect  silence,  and  not  before,  let 
my  daughter  give  the  key  to  him  who  stands  beside  her. 
Let  all  remain  exactly  in  their  places  save  him  alone.  Let 
him  move  forward  to  the  figure,  and,  turning  the  third 
button  above  the  right  arm  easily  around,  remove  it, 


346  John  Harvey 

taking  it  in  his  left  hand.  Let  him  insert  the  key  into 
the  opening  from  whence  the  button  was  removed,  and 
turn  it  gently  round. 

"An  aperture  will  appear  below  the  key,  and  a  paper 
will  be  pushed  forward.  Let  him  take  this  paper  also  in 
his  left  hand.  Let  him  reverse  the  key,  withdraw  it,  put 
the  button  back  into  the  opening  and  turn  it  round  again, 
step  back  upon  his  place,  and  return  the  key  into  my 
daughter's  hand. 

"Let  those  upon  the  left  side  pass  on  out,  my  daugh- 
ter follow,  and  the  person  with  the  paper  last.  Ascend  the 
stairs  in  silence  to  this  chamber,  closing  doors  behind 
you.  Let  the  paper  there  be  given  unopened  to  your 
leader.  On  the  morrow  meet,  and  consider  well  how  you 
will  use  the  secret,  oh,  my  friends,  in  whose  judgment  I 
so  much  confide,  and  when  the  peril  is  well  past  destroy 
the  paper. 

"Three  times,  and  three  times  only,  will  my  tomb  give 
up  my  secret." 

Senator  Paul  ceased  and  closed  the  book.  The  faces 
of  all,  even  that  of  St.  John,  showed  intense  emotion. 

"Clothilde,"  said  the  Senator,  calling  her  thus  for  the 
first  time,  "the  hour  has  come ;  make  your  appointment." 

"Mr.  Maxwell,"  she  said  almost  inaudibly. 

"Let  us  understand  each  other  fully,  and  our  respect- 
ive places  in  this  solemn  duty,"  said  the  Senator,  and  he 
repeated  the  instruction.  "As  leader  I  will  precede  you, 
Mr.  Beyresen,  and  St.  John  will  follow.  We  pass  up  the 
left  side.  You  will  attend  the  princess,"  he  said  to  me, 
"preceding  her  up  the  right  side." 

He  then  unlocked  another  hidden  door  in  the  corner 
of  the  room,  diagonal  to  that  by  which  we  had  entered, 
and  we  passed  through.  The  stairway  was  continued, 
winding-  downward  as  before.    The  door  was  closed  be- 


The   Tomb  34^ 

hind  us,  and  immediately  the  voices  of  a  large  chorus  of 
singers,  accompanied  by  the  notes  and  swells  of  a  power- 
ful organ,  reached  us.  These  were  at  first  distant  and  in- 
distinct, but  became  louder  and  clearer  as  we  moved  down 
the  stair  and  approached  the  level  from  whence  they 
seemed  to  come.  Finally  the  full  chorus  of  the  singers 
and  the  voices  of  men,  women  and  children  could  be 
heard.  It  was  a  song  of  sadness,  a  long  drawn  and  fu- 
nereal dirge. 

We  were  all,  even  thus  upon  the  stairway,  deeply 
moved.  Clothilde  looked  once  toward  me;  she  was  death- 
ly pale  and  evidently  summoning  all  her  fortitude  for  the 
occasion. 

We  descended  eighty  steps;  I  counted  them,  and 
then  the  stairway  ceased,  but  the  dirge  continued,  evi- 
dently coming  from  a  room  to  which  Senator  Paul  was 
now  trying  to  discover  the  entrance.  He  succeeded,  un- 
locked the  door,  opened  it,  and  the  voices  and  music 
ceased  at  once. 

We  stood  at  the  western  end  of  a  large  chamber, 
probably  twenty  feet  wide,  and  quite  long;  the  funereal 
blackness  of  floor,  walls,  and  ceiling  rendering  it  difficult 
to  determine  its  dimensions  with  much  accuracy. 

A  cluster  of  four  electric  lamps  dependent  from  the 
ceiling,  near  the  center  of  the  chamber,  furnished  the  only 
light  in  it.  The  metal  work  of  these  lamps  was  gold,  and 
their  light  shone  through  the  media  of  ground  glass,  only 
dimly  illuminating  the  farther  portions  of  the  room,  but 
falling  upon  the  figure  of  a  man,  recumbent  upon  a  black 
catafalque,  raised  probably  eighteen  inches  above  the 
floor.  On  his  right  side  and  about  three  feet  removed 
from  the  catafalque,  were  what  seemed  to  be  two  white 
tiles  set  in  the  floor,  and  on  his  left  I  observed  three  others 
at  a  similar  distance.     In  the  glossy,  purplish  black  of 


348  John  Harvey 

the  catafalque  and  its  draperies,  as  well  as  on  the  sides, 
floor,  and  ceiling  of  the  room,  I  recognized  at  once  the 
presence  of  the  black  metal. 

Already  pervaded  with  a  feeling  of  awe  by  the  strange 
surroundings,  we  moved  forward  to  take  our  designated 
places.  As  we  did  so  the  figure,  which  in  the  distance 
had  been  dimly  outlined,  became  so  distinct  and  life-like 
that  I  am  free  to  confess  I  was  startled,  and  almost  terri- 
fied. 

It  was  the  figure  of  the  dead,  a  tall,  powerful  man; 
the  hair  and  eyebrows  perfect  and  black  as  night;  the  eyes 
closed ;  the  hands  crossed  naturally  on  the  chest ;  the  feet 
shoeless,  but  stockinged;  stretched  at  full  length  upon  his 
back  on  the  black  catafalque.  The  hands,  limbs  and 
every  outline  were  perfect;  the  face  full  of  expression. 

It  was  the  face  and  figure  of  John  Harvey.  He  wore 
a  black  coat,  a  white  necktie,  vest  and  trousers,  and  was 
in  full  dress  except  for  the  shoeless  feet. 

The  light  from  the  arcs  above  fell  full  upon  this 
figure,  and  there  was  about  it,  taken  with  the  funereal 
surroundings,  an  awful,  fear-inspiring,  majestic,  unearthly 
aspect. 

I  glanced  at  Clothilde ;  her  face  was  as  colorless  and 
almost  as  white  as  the  dress  she  wore,  but  I  saw  that  the 
excitement  of  the  occasion  would  sustain  her,  and  in- 
deed I  knew  not  what  to  do  should  she  give  way. 

We  'took  our  places  on  the  white  tiles,  and  turned 
toward  the  figure  as  we  had  been  directed,  when  imme- 
diately the  organ  and  the  choir  again  began  in  a  low 
chant,  seemingly  remote,  but  growing  louder  and  nearer, 
and  I  recognized  that  a  solemn  service  for  the  dead  had 
begun.  The  words  and  even  the  music  I  had  heard  before 
on  the  occasion  of  the  interment  of  a  German  emperor. 

As  the  chant  proceeded, and  we  all  stood  awe-stricken 


The   Tomb  349 

facing  toward  the  figure,  it  seemed  as  if  strange  -spirits 
were  around  us  in  the  dusky  air,  and  as  if  the  supernatural 
had  overcome  the  natural,  and  that  those  sealed  eyelids 
might  unclose,  those  hands  might  unclasp,  the  dead  might 
arise,  and  speak  to  us. 

Clothilde's  gaze  was  riveted  upon  the  figure;  Mr. 
Beyresen's  eyes  were  downcast,  and  his  face  showed  per- 
turbation as  did  that  of  Senator  Paul,  and  St.  John  even 
was  visibly  affected. 

The  chant  continued,  distinct,  slow  and  deliberate, 
and  with  awful  solemnity,  and  we  listened  hoping  that 
the  ordeal  might  soon  be  past.  The  organ  pealed,  perfect 
in  every  tone;  the  words  came  clear  and  distinct,  appar- 
ently from  the  darkness  veiling  the  east  end  of  the  room ; 
yet  we  saw  no  one.  For  fully  fifteen  minutes  it  continued, 
and  then  slowly  died  away  on  the  heavy,  oppressive  air 
which  filled  the  room. 

It  was  gone  and  there  was  perfect  silence.  I  re- 
membered my  instructions  and  reached  toward  Clothilde. 
Mechanically  she  unfastened  the  chain  which  she  had 
looped  round  her  left  wrist,  and  handed  me  the  key. 
I  took  it,  stepped  two  paces  toward  the  figure,  and  saw 
above  the  right  arm,  where  it  crossed  the  body,  three 
black  buttons.  I  knelt  and  took  the  third  within  my 
fingers,  turned  it  round  till  it  resisted,  and  then  withdrew 
it.  It  was  very  heavy  for  so  small  an  object;  a  fact  I  no- 
ticed even  in  my  trepidation.  I  placed  it  in  my  left  hand; 
a  square  hole  was  visible.  In  this  I  put  the  key  and  turned 
it  also.  Looking  below  it,  I  observed  a  sealed  packet 
which  had  been  pushed  outward. 

I  drew  this  gently  forth,  again  turned  the  key,  with- 
drew it,  put  the  button  in  its  place  and  moved  it  round. 
I  passed  the  key  to  Clothilde,  and  we  started  to  leave  the 
place.     Immediately  the  strange  choir  began  again  to 


350  John  Harvey 

sing.  We  reached  the  stairway,  closed  the  door,  but 
heard  them  still  as  we  ascended.  Clothilde  took  my 
proffered  arm  and  leaned  wearily  upon  it.  We  entered 
the  room  above,  and  I  gave  the  packet  to  the  Senator. 

After  a  few  moments'  rest  the  keys  and  the  book  were 
returned  to  the  black  box,  it  was  relocked,  and  with  faces 
yet  pallid  we  began  the  final  ascent,  resting  occasionally 
on  the  landing. 

After  some  time  we  gained  the  top,  passed  out 
through  the  door  we  had  entered,  and  again  reached  the 
vault  of  the  treasury  building,  Senator  Paul  leading  as 
before.  There  the  first  box  was  reopened:  the  keys 
placed  in  it  and  it  was  relocked,  and  for  the  first  time  we 
looked  freely  in  each  other's  faces. 

It  was  2  o'clock  in  the  morning.  For  four  hours 
we  had  been  engaged  in  this  arduous  work,  with  nerves 
wrought  to  the  highest  tension. 

A  carriage  waited  for  us.  Mr.  Beyresen  entered  it, 
and  then  Clothilde  and  myself.  There  was  little  talk 
between  us.  At  parting  Mr.  Beyresen  asked  me  to  meet 
him  on  the  morrow  at  his  room. 

I  sought  sleep,  but  found  it  not.  The  image  of  John 
Harvey,  the  sounds  of  weird  music,  the  voices  of  unseen 
singers  drove  rest  from  my  pillow,  and  about  9  o'clock 
I  rose,  and  at  the  appointed  time  reached  Mr.  Beyresen's 
room. 

I  found  the  members  of  the  party  all  assembled,  save 
Clothilde,  who  was  unable  to  be  present.  It  was  decided 
that  the  packet  might  be  opened  in  her  absence,  and 
Senator  Paul  broke  the  seal  and  drew  forth  this  writing, 
which  he  read  to  us : 

"For  once  only,  my  friends,  I  have  broken  faith  with 
you,  and  I  crave  your  pardon.  When  I  talked  with  you 
some  nights  ago,  I  was  determined  and  had    made    all 


The   Tomb  351 

preparations  to  leave  my  secret  with  you.  But  the  por- 
tals of  eternity  have  opened  now  before  me,  and  I  am  for- 
bidden. I  cannot  even  for  you,  my  brethren,  disclose  the 
nature  of  that  secret.     It  must  die  with  me. 

"Your  cause  here  on  earth,  my  cause  also  whither 
I  go,  must  be  furthered  by  faith,  and  love,  and  charity — 
not  by  the  means  I  thought  to  employ. 

"In  all  things  you  must  be  wise  as  serpents,  and  in 
respect  to  offense  you  must  be  harmless  as  doves. 

"If  defense  be  needed,  prepare  yourselves  with  what 
is  necessary.  So  much  is  lawful.  Remember  no  one  can 
enter  a  strong  man's  house,  and  spoil  his  goods,  unless  he 
first  bind  the  strong  man. 

"Be  at  one  with  another,  oh,  my  friends.  Be  exem- 
plars to  'those  who  live  around  you.  But  protect  your  fire- 
sides, your  homes,  the  country  which  God  gave  you  in 
his  divine  way  first,  and  I  in  my  human  way  last.  You 
have  my  full  permission  to  use  for  this  purpose  all  the 
means  I  have  already  left  you.  But  these  must  now  suf- 
fice you.  It  is  better  so.  Equality  of  weapons  will  keep 
you  humble  and  preserve  you  from  aggression.  It  will 
engender  care  for  good  men's  opinion,  and  the  Chris- 
tian virtues  which  secure  divine  approval. 

"I  can  say  but  little  more.  I  have  thought  it  all  out 
as  I  lay  upon  my  bed,  and  I  cannot  leave  my  secret.  I 
will  tread  my  weary  way  to  my  place  of  sepulchre  again 
to-night,  and  I  will  destroy  it  with  my  own  hands.  You 
will  find  this  packet  only  in  its  place.  I  have  made  this 
resolution,  and  I  am  at  peace.  I  shall  soon  depart  this 
life,  but  I  will  still  watch  over  you. 

"I  can  only  add  this:  The  Lord  has  at  last  shown 
me  as  I  pray  lie  will  show  you,  also,  'What  is  good,  and 
what  He  requireth  of  us,  to  do  justly,  and  to  love  mercy, 
and  to  walk  humbly  with  our  God.' 

"John  Harvev." 


352  John  Harvey 

There  was  silence  in  the  chamber  for  some  moments. 
The  Senator  reverently  folded  up  the  paper  and  placed 
it  in  the  packet.  His  eyes,  and  those  of  the  two  others 
who  had  been  John  Harvey's  personal  friends,  were  suf- 
fused with  tears.    Finally  he  remarked: 

"I  understand  now  the  sudden  aggravation  of  John 
Harvey's  illness,  which  rendered  him  delirious  and  caused 
his  death  twenty-four  hours  later.  Our  departed  friend 
has  acted  wisely.  The  employment  of  this  agent  would, 
I  fear,  have  robbed  us  of  moral  support.  We  must  mod- 
ify our  plans,  and  be  content  to  use  the  weapons  left  us. 
We  have  John  Harvey's  black-mouthed  guns  as  yet. 

I  am  directed,  Mr.  Maxwell,  by  General  Canly,  to 
give  you  this  commission,  which  entrusts  you  with  the 
molding  of  these  cannon  at  Bilboa,  and  the  preparation  of 
the  missiles  to  be  used.  Please  report  to  the  General  for 
further  orders.  Let  us  now  depart,  remembering  our  oaths 
of  secrecy  and  common  service  in  a  common  cause." 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

THE   PRINCESS. 

Shortly  after  leaving  Mr.  Beyresen's  rooms,  I  went 
to  General  Canly's  headquarters,  and  received  full  in- 
structions from  him  in  regard  to  my  duties  at  Bilboa. 

He  desired  me  to  proceed  with  all  dispatch  to  that 
city,  and  I  promised  him  that  I  would  do  so  on  the  en- 
suing morning. 

In  the  evening  I  called  to  see  Clothilde,  and  learned 
that  she  had  been  confined  to  her  room  all  day  by  an  at- 
tack of  nervous  fever.  I  left  a  note  for  her  expressing 
sympathy,  and  telling  her  that  it  was  imperatively  neces- 
sary for  me  to  leave  in  the  morning,  and  asking  her  to 
write  to  me  as  soon  as  she  was  sufficiently  recovered. 

On  my  arrival  at  Bilboa  I  found  that  the  six  gun- 
boats had  been  completed,  and  would  be  ready  for  ship- 
ment and  launching  on  the  Missouri  River  as  soon  as 
their  armament  was  prepared,  each  vessel  being  designed 
to  carry  a  single  gun  of  the  black  metal. 

The  casting  of  these  guns,  and  of  others  to  be  mount- 
ed on  railroad  cars  for  land  service,  and  the  preparation 
of  missiles  for  them,  fully  occupied  my  time  for  some  suc- 
ceeding weeks. 

I  heard  daily  of  Clothilde,  but  it  was  many  days  be- 
fore she  herself  was  able  to  write  to  me.  She  did  so  can- 
didly, trustingly,  and  confidentially,  and  yet  without  a 
a  word  that  might  not  have  been  written  to  a  brother. 

I  could  not  understand  this  reserve  when  my  own 
feelings  were  manifest  in  my  every  epistle.    But  I  hoped 

353 


354  John  Harvey 

much  from  the  quiet,  affectionate  manner  she  so  natur- 
ally assumed  toward  me,  and  I  believed  that  she  felt  far 
more  deeply  than  she  cared  to  let  me  know.  I  was  also 
satisfied  that  she  was  better  acquainted  with  my  history 
than  she  had  ever  chosen  to  reveal  to  me,  and  confident 
that  she  was  the  young  girl  I  had  met  on  the  Albatross. 

I  longed  to  see  her  again  and  put  this  matter  to  the 
test,  but  I  could  not  intrude  thus  upon  her  until  she  was 
restored  in  health. 

In  the  latter  part  of  December  I  received  an  urgent 
invitation  from  Air.  Beyresen  to  spend  Xew  Year's  day 
with  his  family,  but  was  obliged  to  send  word  that  I 
could  not  come  until  the  3d.  On  that  day  I  reached  Neu- 
ropolis,  and  went  at  once  to  Air.  Beyresen's  house. 

All  greeted  me  most  cordially,  but  there  was  some- 
thing in  Clothilde's  manner,  and  a  sparkle  in  her  eye 
which  she  could  not  conceal,  that  I  thought  augured  well 
for  my  most  sanguine  hopes. 

Our  conversation  at  the  dinner-table  and  in  the  fam- 
ily circle  was  commonplace  to  others,  but  the  simplest 
words  between  us  two  were  freighted  with  the  extraor- 
dinary. 

After  the  dinner  I  missed  Clothilde  for  awhile,  and  on 
her  return  fancied  I  saw  traces  of  tears  in  her  eyes,  and 
her  buoyant  and  gladsome  manner  seemed  somewhat  as- 
sumed. 

One  by  one  the  others  dropped  out  of  the  room,  and 
she  and  I  alone  remained. 

"Aliss  Clothilde,"  I  said,  "you  once  promised  to 
show  me  your  library,  and  I  should  be  very  much  grati- 
fied if  I  might  be  permitted  to  look  into  it  this  evening." 

She  seemed  somewhat  confused  by  my  request,  but 
replied:  "Certainly,"  and  led  the  way  to  her  drawing- 
room. 


The  Princess  355 

She  left  me  there,  and  went  into  the  apartment  ad- 
joining, where  she  was  evidently  engaged  in  arranging 
something,  but  came  out  presently,  and  said  to  me:  "I 
fear  you  will  find  the  library  in  a  little  confusion;  but  if 
you  will  be  so  good  as  to  come  in,  I  shall  be  pleased  to 
show  it  to  you." 

I  sat  still,  and  replied:  "I  am  afraid  I  am  intruding 
and  giving  you  trouble.  I  wanted  a  little  talk  with  you 
rather  than  to  see  your  library.  I  would  not  annoy  you 
for  the  world." 

She  had  resumed  her  old  position  by  the  mantel. 

"Annoy  me,"  she  said;  "I  hardly  see  how  you  could. 
You  have  been  so  kind  and  considerate,  so  careful  and 
thoughtful  of  my  interests  and  feelings,  that  I  could  not 
think  anything  you  might  do  an  annoyance.  You  have 
stood  by  me  as  a  true  friend.  You  are  doing  for  me  and 
my  people  now  what  few  persons  would  care  to  do.  You 
must  not  think  that  I  underestimate  your  services;  you 
must  not  think  I  do  not  know  how  to  value  them,  Mr. 
Maxwell." 

There  were  tears  in  her  eyes  as  she  spoke,  and  she 
sat  down  in  a  chair  near  me. 

"You  are  very  earnest  and  panegyrical,  Clothilde," 
I  said,  "but  you  know  very  well  that  that  is  not  what  I 
long  for.  Have  you  no  other  words  for  me?  Can  you 
make  no  hopeful  reply  to  the  question  I  asked  you  some 
months  past,  when  I  told  you  I  loved  you?" 

"Oh,  Mr.  Maxwell!"  she  exclaimed,  "I  promised  to 
answer  that  question  after  you  had  answered  mine  truly, 
or  found  the  person  of  whom  you  spoke." 

"And  is  that  to  be  all?"  I  said.  "Is  there  to  be  no 
word  of  love  from  you  to  me?  Are  we  to  live  on  thus, 
divided  by  an  impassable  barrier  which  you  have  created ; 
why,  I  cannot  imagine.     Could  you  not  be  happy  with 


356  John  Harvey 

me,  Clothilde?  If  you  could  not,  why  have  you  trusted 
me  so  much?  I  have  been  very  candid  with  you;  I  have 
revealed  my  inmost  soul  to  you.  I  have  had  but  few 
loves,  and  those  have  been  sacred.  Do  you  condemn  me 
for  them,  when  I  had  not  as  yet  met  you?" 

"No,"  she  replied  quickly,  "I  do  not;  I  condemn  no 
one.  As  you  have  told  me  of  one  love,  Mr.  Herbert,  you 
might  tell  me  of  the  others,"  she  added. 

"I  will  accept  your  challenge,"  I  said  eagerly, 
"though  I  hardly  know  the  spirit  in  which  it  is  made. 
But  you  must  come  nearer,  Clothilde,  if  I  am  to  reveal 
secrets  which  have  never  yet  been  told  to  anyone." 

She  placed  herself  on  a  low  footstool  still  closer  to 
me,  with  every  appearance  of  interest. 

"It  is  a  strange  thing,  Clothilde,"  I  continued,  "for  a 
woman  to  ask  a  man  suing  for  her  heart  to  reveal  his 
former  loves  to  her." 

"It  is  indeed,"  she  replied.  "I  should  like  to  hear  the 
history  of  my  predecessors,  but  I  will  not  persist  if  it  is 
painful.    I  hope  you  are  not  offended  at  the  inquiry." 

"No,  I  am  not,"  I  said,  "and  I  will  go  on.  I  will  tell 
the  woman  I  love  the  story  of  my  other  loves,  and  it  will 
not  be  long.  I  have  already  informed  you  that  as  a  boy 
of  twelve  I  fell  in  love  with  a  little  girl  visiting  for  a  short 
time  with  my  mother.  Her  name  was  Stephanie.  It  was 
a  childish  love,  Clothilde,  and  yet  it  was  no  transient  one. 
Its  memory  followed  me  for  years,  and  I  have  often  found 
myself  wondering  if  she  had  grown  to  be  the  glorious 
woman  her  childhood  promised." 

"I  remember,"  broke  in  Clothilde.  "You  told  me, 
too,  you  had  never  seen  her  since." 

"I  did  and  spoke  the  truth." 

"Well,"  said  she,  after  a  slight  pause,  "was  there 
another?" 


The   Princess  357 

'"There  was,"  I  answered.  "You  may  remember  I 
told  you  of  my  breach  of  discipline  in  visiting  the  Alba- 
tross the  night  of  the  ball,  and  of  a  letter  of  warning  I 
afterward  gave  to  a  young  girl  sitting  at  an  open  port- 
hole of  the  vessel?" 

"Yes,"  she  answered,  "I  do  remember." 

"I  did  not  tell  you  all,  however,  for  you  interrupted 
me.  At  the  ball  I  had  danced  and  talked  with  the  young 
lady,  and  strange  to  say,  though  I  only  saw  her  that  one 
evening  she  was  so  bright,  so  joyous,  so  beautiful,  and 
so  charming,  that  she  made  a  powerful  impression  on 
me.  It  was  for  her  sake  more  than  all  the  rest  that  the 
next  day  I  gave  the  warning.  The  few  hours  I  spent 
with  her  were  so  delightful  that  I  long  remembered  them, 
and  I  believe,  Clothilde,  that  the  memory  of  my  child  love 
and  my  girl  love  has  done  more  to  keep  me  from  tempta- 
tion than  all  other  things.  Would  you  destroy  their  mem- 
ory, Clothilde?  Do  you  think  they  would  render  me  less 
capable  of  loving  you,  or  have  you  no  love  to  give  me, 
which  I  can  hardly  believe?" 

"No,"  she  replied  hesitatingly,  "I  wrould  not  rob  you 
of  your  memories.  But,"  she  added  blushingly,  "I  would 
be  sure  they  are  only  memories.  Did  I  understand  that 
you  had  never  seen  this  other  person  since?"  she  asked. 

"I  believe  now  I  have,"  I  said,  watching  her  nar- 
rowly. 

She  started  and  made  a  movement  to  withdraw  the 
hand  which  I  had  taken,  but  I  detained  it,  though  only  for 
a  moment,  for  she  withdrew  it. 

"How  did  she  conform  to  your  expectations?"  she 
inquired. 

"I  think  I  have  already  told  her;  I  believe  that  young 
lady  was  your  own  self,  dear." 


358  John  Harvey 

There  was  a  pause  and  then  she  said:  "How  long 
have  you  believed  this,  Mr.  Herbert?" 

"Only  for  a  few  weeks.  But  I  believe  it,  and  I  think 
you  knew  it  all  the  time,  Clothilde;  is  this  not  true?" 

"I  certainly  was  on  the  Albatross  at  the  time  of  which 
you  speak,"  she  said  gravely,  but  with  increasing  color. 

"You  have  hardly  treated  me  fairly,  Clothilde!"  I 
exclaimed,  "but  you  are  great  enough,  and  good  and 
lovely  enough,  to  make  amends." 

"I  do  not  know  about  that,  sir,  she  said.  "I  am  only 
two  of  your  loves.  There  is  the  first  and  most  important 
one." 

"Oh,  you  objector!"  attempting  to  seize  her,  which 
she  evaded,  "are  not  two  enough?" 

"No,"  she  said,  "I  think  not.  "Besides,"  returning 
near  me  to  her  place  on  the  footstool,  "there  are  other  dif- 
ficulties." 

"What  are  they?"  I  inquired. 

"You  and  I,"  she  said  solemnly,  "are  hereditary 
foes." 

"What!"  I  cried. 

"Your  ancestors  and  mine,"  she  continued,  "have 
fought  each  other  on  a  hundred  battlefields." 

I  looked  at  her  wonderingly. 

"It  is  true,"  she  went  on.  "I  am  of  the  blood  royal. 
It  is  true,  as  is  everything  I  have  ever  told  you." 

She  looked  intently  at  me,  and  I  at  her.  "Do  you 
not  know  me,  Herbert?"  she  said. 

"What  is  your  full  name,  Clothilde?"  I  cried  hoarse- 
ly, bending  forward. 

"Clothilde  Stephanie  Harvey,"  she  almost  sobbed. 

I  put  my  arm  about  her,  and  in  another  moment  she 
sat  beside  me,  while  I  stilled  her  tears  with  kisses. 

"And  you  will  be  my  wife,  Stephanie?"  I  said  at  last. 

"I  will  not  tell  you  again,"  she  replied,  with  return- 


The  Princess  359 

ing  coquetry;  "I  promised  that  eighteen  years  ago."" 

"And,"  I  exclaimed,  "neither  of  us,  it  seems,  has 
ever  forgotten  it!" 

"I  knew  you  all  the  time,"  she  continued.  "I  knew 
you  on  the  Albatross,  by  the  scar  on  the  side  of  your  tem- 
ple, made  when  you  fell  from  the  tree  at  your  father's 
house.  I  thought  I  knew  you  when  you  threw  me  the 
flowers,  and  I  was  sure  of  it  when  I  first  met  you  after- 
ward. Do  you  think  I  would  have  trusted  you  as  I  did, 
sir,  if  I  had  not  known  you?  I  wanted  you  to  remember 
me,  and  I  gave  you  many  hints,  but  you  never  took  them, 
and  I  supposed  you  had  forgotten  Stephanie  till  you  told 
me  about  her.  My  mother,  you  know,  or  ought  to  know, 
was  the  Princess  Stephanie,  sister  to  King  Alphonse  of 
Spain.  Come  into  the  library  and  I  will  show  you  her  pic- 
ture." 

We  went  at  once.  The  picture  was  turned  to  the 
wall.    Clothilde  put  it  right. 

"I  turned  it,"  she  continued,  "lest  you  should  recog- 
nize me  from  it;  I  look  much  like  my  mother.  I  wanted 
you  to  remember  me  yourself.  I  supposed  you  would 
come  into  the  library  after  what  you  said,  and  I  did  not 
know  how  to  prevent  you." 

"I  saw  you  did  not  want  me  there,  Clothilde,  and  I 
did  not  come,"  I  answered. 

"You  are  so  kind  and  considerate,  Herbert,"  and  she 
smiled  up  into  my  face.  "I  remember  it  as  a  trait  of 
yours  long  ago." 

"God  help  me  to  be  so  always  with  you,  Clothilde, 
my  love,"  I  responded  fervently. 

We  parted  for  the  night,  and  I  walked  to  my  rooms 
with  a  step  light  as  air,  and  a  heart  full  to  bursting.  My 
child  love,  my  girl  love,  my  only  love  was  mine,  and 
royal  in  her  beauty,  charming  in  her  manner,  sunny  in 
her  disposition,  and  mine,  mine  only,  in  her  heart. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

THE  MARCH  OF  THE  THREE  HUNDRED  THOUSAND. 

I  remained  in  Neuropolis  only  till  the  evening  of 
the  next  day,  but  I  saw  many  changes.  The  encamp- 
ment on  'the  west  'bank  of  the  great  canal  now  held  one 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  men,  and  the  city  itself,  con- 
taining a  population  of  over  a  half  million,  could  furnish 
one  hundred  thousand  more. 

The  military  spirit  had  infected  the  entire  people, 
and  though  the  pursuits  of  industry  were  not  neglected, 
every  moment  hitherto  given  to  recreation,  or  pleasure, 
was  now  devoted  to  warlike  attainments. 

The  armament  of  the  vessels  at  Bilboa  had  been 
completed,  as  had  also  the  mounting  of  several  guns  of 
the  black  metal  in  turrets  on  railroad  cars  made  ball- 
proof  by  the  use  of  the  white  metal. 

I  intended  beginning  in  February  the  erection  of 
buildings  and  stocks  for  the  launching  of  the  gunboats, 
which  I  designed  protecting  by  a  few  shore  batteries 
placed  on  the  Missouri  River. 

Though  many  of  the  states  had  not  responded  with 
their  quotas  of  troops  yet  so  great  was  the  severity  of  the 
times  that  the  government  had  obtained  the  five  hundred 
thousand  volunteers  called  for. 

But  already  a  change  had  occurred  in  the  attitude 
of  the  people  in  the  Eastern  states.  Suffering  had  nearly 
reached  its  limit;  patient  endurance  had  almost  been  ex- 
hausted; and  wise  and  able  leaders  had  arisen,  who 
frowned  down  the  suicidal  attempts  of  anarchists  and 

360 


The  March  of  the  Three  Hundred  Thousand     361 

other  enemies  of  law  and  order,  which  for  years  had  fur- 
nished excuses  for  continued  oppression;  leaders  who 
were  not  afraid  to  speak  the  truth,  and  claimed  openly 
and  boldly  the  right  to  hold  public  meetings;  to  denounce 
wrongs,  and  to  demand  their  redress. 

The  people  were  awaking  from  their  apathy,  and  in 
all  the  great  cities  meetings  were  held,  public  addresses 
were  made,  and  the  Hymn  of  the  Nationality  was  sung 
by  marching  thousands  on  the  streets. 

Conflicts  with  the  authorities  had  already  occurred 
in  several  cities,  where  the  right  of  free  and  open  assem- 
blage and  discussion  had  been  challenged,  which,  though 
bloodless,  had  excited  bitter  feelings,  and  keener  sense  of 
long-endured  wrongs. 

It  was  the  opinion  of  the  councilors  and  public  men 
of  the  Nationality  that  the  government  would  soon  make 
some  aggressive  movement  against  it,  if  for  no  other  rea- 
son than  to  divert  the  public  mind  from  the  dangerous 
broodings  which  were  engrossing  it. 

About  the  15th  of  January,  1936,  the  commissioners 
appointed  by  the  governors  of  Texas,  Louisiana,  Mis- 
souri, Arkansas,  Oregon,  California,  Washington,  Idaho, 
Montana,  North  Dakota,  Wisconsin,  Minnesota,  Iowa, 
Kentucky,  Tennessee,  Mississippi,  Alabama,  Georgia  and 
the  Carolinas,  in  all  over  a  hundred  persons,  arrived  in 
Neuropolis. 

From  three  to  eight  commissioners  had  been  sent 
from  each  state,  generally  from  among  its  most  distin- 
guished citizens  and  in  two  instances,  those  of  California 
and  Iowa,  the  governors  themselves  were  of  the  number. 

On  the  20th  of  January  these  commissioners,  in 
charge  of  a  committee  of  the  parliament,  left  Neuropolis 
on  two  special  trains  for  a  tour  of  observation  of  the  Na- 
tionality. 


362  John  Harvey 

They  were  given  full  opportunity  for  forming  a  cor- 
rect judgment  of  the  condition  of  its  people  and  its  power 
and  resources,  both  from  an  industrial  and  military  point 
of  view. 

They  were  taken  into  many  of  its  principal  cities  in 
the  mountains  and  on  the  plains,  and  among  the  people 
In  the  smaller  towns  and  villages. 

They  visited  the  encampment  at  Xeuropolis  before 
leaving,  and  later  the  one  in  the  disputed  townships,  and 
were  invited  to  mingle  freely  with  the  men  that  they  might 
judge  of  their  intelligence  and  their  patriotism. 

The  journey  was  intended  to  continue  two  weeks 
and  to  terminate  on  their  return  to  Xeuropolis.  At  its 
very  beginning  the  commissioners  were  evidently  much 
impressed  with  what  they  saw  of  the  prosperity  and 
strength  of  the  Nationality. 

During  this  season  the  rural  population  had  much 
leisure,  and  were  now  employing  it  in  military  training 
under  their  labor  directors.  As  the  commissioners  passed 
through,  or  stopped  at  the  towns  and  villages,  they  saw 
regiments  of  men  zealously  engaged  in  drill,  and  they 
frequently  met  these  same  men  in  the  evening  at  their 
homes,  or  in  some  assemblage,  and  found  them  loyal  to 
their  land,  ready  to  entertain  strangers  hospitably  if  they 
came  as  friends,  and  equally  ready  to  meet  them  otherwise 
if  they  came  as  foes. 

When  a  few  days  had  been  spent  in  this  manner, 
many  of  the  commissioners  began  correspondence  with 
the  governors  and  other  officers  of  their  states,  the  nature 
of  which  could  be  inferred  from  expressions  which  some- 
times escaped  them. 

Said  a  Georgian:  "Your  country  is  already  a  great 
military  camp." 


TJie  March  of  the  Three  Hundred  Thozisand     363 

"I  marvel  at  your  population,  and  your  prosperity," 
declared  a  Minnesota  commissioner. 

"No  power  can  subjugate  such  a  people,"  tersely 
remarked  a  Mississippian. 

Understanding  that  the  commissioners  would  re- 
turn to  Neuropolis  about  the  5th  of  February,  I  arranged 
to  leave  Bilboa  for  a  few  days,  and  started  for  Neuropo- 
lis on  the  evening  of  the  fourth.  We  had  stopped  at  a 
small  station  about  ten  miles  from  the  city,  when  the  con- 
ductor handed  me  a  telegram  which  had  reached  Bilboa 
after  my  departure,  and  had  been  forwarded  me  on  the 
train.  I  opened  it  and  read:  "Report  to  me  at  Neuropo- 
lis at  once.  The  President  has  ordered  an  advance  in 
force,  and  his  troops  are  in  rapid  movement  to  cross  the 
Missouri."    It  was  signed  by  General  Canly. 

"Ah,  then,"  thought  I,  "the  moment  of  action  has 
come.  Alas,  for  human  greed,  passion,  and  shortsighted- 
ness, which  precipitate  so  many  calamities  upon  the  peo- 
ple." 

We  arrived  very  soon  at  Neuropolis,  and  I  repaired 
at  once  to  General  Canly's  headquarters.  I  saw  him  but 
a  moment;  he  was  very  busy. 

"How  many  cannon,"  inquired  he,  "have  you  at  Bil- 
boa, ready  to  move  to-morrow  or  the  next  day?" 

I  replied  that  I  had  eight,  mounted  on  railway  cars, 
and  trained  men  ready  to  use  them. 

"Then,"  said  he,  "till  10  o'clock  to-night  your  time 
is  at  your  own  disposal.  We  have  information  that  two 
days  ago  all  available  troops  were  ordered  to  cross  the 
river  at  Omaha,  and  take  possession  of  the  disputed  town- 
ships, and  that  they  are  now  concentrating  for  that  pur- 
pose. By  10  o'clock  to-night  we  shall  have  more  definite 
news.    I  will  see  you  then  with  other  officers  in  council." 

I  left  the  General  and  as  soon  as  possible  went  to 


3t>4  John  Harvey 

Mr.  Beyresen's  house.  Mrs.  Beyresen  received  me  grave- 
ly but  very  kindly,  and  after  a  little  conversation  with- 
drew. Clothilde  came  a  moment  later,  met  me,  and  burst 
into  tears.  She  had  heard  the  news  and  understood  my 
errand.  We  went  into  her  drawing-room,  and  I  tried  to 
comfort  her. 

"Oh,  Herbert!"  she  cried,  "I  am  afraid  for  your  sake 
of  this  coming  struggle.  If  I  had  never  known  you  you 
would  have  been  safe,  but  now  you  will  be  in  constant 
peril.  And  yet  I  would  not  keep  you  if  I  could,  for  the 
cause  is  holy.  But  oh,  be  careful  of  yourself.  I  have 
lost  my  father,  and  if  I  lose  the  lover  I  have  just  found  I 
shall  be  desolate  indeed.  Oh,  the  suffering  and  misery  I 
have  seen  wrought  by  war!" 

"You  were  in  the  Albatross,  Clothilde,"  I  said. 

"I  was,"  she  answered.  "I  would  not  leave  my  fa- 
ther. The  other  women  went  ashore ;  I  would  not  leave 
him,  and  he  let  me  stay.  I  saw  nothing  of  the  battle  till 
all  was  over.  I  heard  the  firing  and  felt  the  concussion 
of  the  balls  upon  the  vessel,  and  I  knew  no  fear;  but  when 
I  looked  out  over  the  sea,  which  was  strewn  with  wrecks 
and  had  swallowed  up  men  who  had  been  alive  but  an 
hour  before,  I  realized  that  war  was  awful.  I  thought 
of  you,  and  I  was  anxious  till  I  knew  that  you  were  safe. 
But  I  could  have  lost  you  then,  Herbert,  and  recovered. 
I  cannot  now,  dear,  since  I  have  known  you  better." 

For  a  long  time  we  talked  together,  and  I  left  her 
somewhat  reassured,  and  went  to  meet  the  Commander- 
in-chief.  Many  other  officers  were  with  him,  and  I  learned 
the  latest  intelligence. 

The  Governmental  troops  were  concentrating  rap- 
idly about  twenty  miles  east  from  Omaha.  A  large  num- 
ber were  already  assembled,  which  would  be  greatly  in- 


The  March  of  the  Three  Hundred  Thousand     365 

creased  in  a  few  hours,  when  the  passage  would  prob- 
ably be  attempted. 

Only  a  show  of  force  entirely  overwhelming  could 
change  the  purpose  of  the  government.  Realizing  this, 
General  Canly  had  determined  on  an  immediate  concen- 
tration of  the  Nationalistic  forces  at  a  station  called 
Oberon,  ten  miles  inland  from  Omaha. 

The  railway  officials  whose  lines  led  from  Neuropo- 
lis  eastward  were  instructed  to  keep  their  tracks  clear 
for  the  passage  of  trains  loaded  with  men  from  the  camp 
near  the  city,  who  were  already  on  their  way  to  Oberon. 

The  troops  in  the  disputed  townships  had  orders  to 
begin  their  march  in  the  morning  to  that  place,  distant 
from  them  about  forty  miles.  A  great  number  of  well- 
drilled  men  were  ordered  in  from  the  mountain  districts, 
and  would  be  hurried  to  the  front  as  soon  as  practicable. 
I  was  required  to  be  ready  at  an  hour's  notice  to  proceed 
to  Oberon  with  my  Harvey  guns. 

I  reached  my  lodgings  late  that  night.  It  was  after 
1  o'clock  when  I  retired,  and  nearly  eight  next  morning 
when  I  breakfasted. 

A  great  change  had  come  upon  the  city.  The  streets 
were  filled  with  regiments  marching  to  their  allotted 
cantonments,  and  with  wagons  conveying  stores  to 
trains.  The  arsenals  were  open,  and  boxes  of  arms  were 
being  sent  to  the  encampment  west  of  the  city.  Fresh 
tents,  pitched  at  various  points  there,  showed  arrivals 
of  large  bodies  of  troops  during  the  night. 

I  repaired  to  headquarters  and  was  informed  that  the 
government  had  already  concentrated  two  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  men,  and  it  was  expected  that  a  movement 
would  soon  be  made  to  seize  the  bridge  crossing  the  Mis- 
souri at  Omaha.  I  was  ordered  to  transport  my  guns  to 
Neuropolis  at  once.     This  I  did,  and  they  arrived  and 


366  John  Harvey 

were  safely  housed  that  evening.  All  day  long  troops 
were  arriving  from  the  mountain  districts,  and  going 
into  camp  to  be  fully  equipped  and  armed  before  pro- 
ceeding onward. 

About  2  p.  m.  the  trains  conveying  the  commis- 
sioners reached  Neuropolis.  They  had  heard  the  news 
that  day,  and  returned  as  rapidly  as  possible.  They  had 
left  a  peaceful  city;  they  found  a  martial  camp.  Anxiety 
and  distress  were  visible  on  their  countenances  as  they 
saw  the  warlike  preparations  and  the  constant  embarka- 
tion of  men  hurrying  to  the  front. 

They  were  met  at  the  station,  escorted  to  hotels,  and 
treated  with  every  courtesy.  At  first  they  doubted  the 
authenticity  of  the  reputed  order  of  the  President,  and  it 
was  not  until  they  had  received  telegrams  from  their  own 
states  that  they  fully  admitted  it.  Then  they  held  hur- 
ried meetings;  then  they  realized  that  they  were  in  the 
midst  of  the  wildest  storm  cloud  of  war  that  the  Conti- 
nent had  ever  seen. 

From  room  to  room,  all  night  long,  these  men  con- 
sulted with  each  other,  and  telegraphed  to  their  friends 
and  superiors. 

I  visited  Clothilde  in  the  evening.  She  had  recovered 
her  fortitude  and  was  again  herself.  Her  depression  was 
gone,  and  though  anxious,  the  brave  spirit  of  her  ances- 
tors was  manifest  in  her  bearing. 

The  morning  of  the  7th  came,  and  the  city  awoke  if 
it  had  been  at  all  asleep.  Many  of  the  commissioners 
desired  to  return  home  that  day.  They  were  informed 
that  the  roads  were  now  blocked  by  trains  filled  with 
troops,  and  advised  to  wait  till  the  9th,  when  a  sufficient 
number  of  men  having  been  sent  forward  for  present  de- 
fense, special  trains  would  be  provided  for  them.  They 
inquired  if  they  were  at  liberty  to  go  where  they  wished, 


The  March  of  the  Three  Hundred  Thousatid     367 

and  were  assured  the  freedom  of  the  city,  and  of  the 
camps,  was  theirs. 

They  took  full  advantage  of  the  privileges  accorded 
them.  They  visited  the  camps,  the  stations,  and  all  parts 
of  the  city,  in  carriages,  in  cars,  and  on  foot,  in  couples, 
in  groups,  or  singly.  They  conversed;  they  telegraphed; 
they  interchanged  views  without  observation,  or  annoy- 
ance. 

It  was  announced  that  at  2  o'clock  there  would  be  a 
grand  review  of  the  mountain  men  as  they  marched  past 
the  Administration  Square  to  the  southern  depot  for 
embarkation,  and  the  commissioners  were  invited  to  be 
present. 

These  troops  consisted  of  twelve  corps  of  twenty- 
five  thousand  men  each,  and  would  be  the  last  sent  for- 
ward at  present  from  Neuropoiis. 

By  1  o'clock  a  large  platform  had  been  erected  on 
the  east  side  of  the  square,  at  the  place  where  the  labor 
directors  had  formerly  assembled.  At  an  early  hour  an 
immense  throng,  eager  to  witness  the  spectacle,  filled 
the  streets  and  sidewalks. 

I  was  sent  by  General  Canly  to  bring  Clothilde.  "It 
is  fitting,"  he  said,  "that  John  Harvey's  daughter,  though 
as  yet  known  to  but  a  few,  should  be  recognized,  and 
should  occupy  the  place  of  honor  on  this  day  when  the 
troops  pass  by  to  defend  the  land  he  loved.  I  have  in- 
vited her,  and  informed  the  officers  and  men  of  her  iden- 
tity, and  you  can  tell  her  this  from  me,  that  the  standards 
which  these  troops  carry,  bear  by  order  of  our  Parliament 
the  figure  of  a  woman,  and  that  figure  represents  John 
Harvey's  daughter." 

I  told  Clothilde  this,  and  she  accompanied  me,  a 
princess  in  her  every  attitude  and  movement.  She  took 
her  seat  by  the  General,  among  his  staff,  on  the  platform 


368  John  Harvey 

where  the  commissioners,  councilors,  and  others  were 
assembled. 

A  little  before  2  o'clock  the  advancing  column  of 
the  mountain  men  wheeled  into  view  from  the  Northwest- 
Boulevard,  and  passing  along  the  Northern  Avenue, 
turned  southward  down  the  eastern  side  of  the  Adminis- 
tration Square. 

As  they  reached  it  their  arms  were  brought  to  a  pre- 
sent, and  carried  thus  past  the  platform  on  which  we  were, 
and  along  the  whole  eastern  side  of  the  square.  The 
sight  as  the  column  wheeled  and  moved  down  upon  us 
was  most  impressive. 

The  men  marched  in  companies,  at  a  rapid,  swing- 
ing pace  and  with  great  precision,  filling  the  wide  avenue 
from  side  to  side.  They  were  full  grown,  mature  men, 
robust  and  strong,  and  their  determined  faces  showed 
that  they  knew  full  well  their  mission.  They  looked 
neither  to  the  right  nor  left,  but  straight  ahead,  with  true 
soldierly  bearing.  Their  weapons  were  repeating  rifles 
of  the  latest  pattern ;  their  uniforms  were  blue,  with  shako 
helmets,  and  a  white  sash  about  the  waist,  with  short  ends 
dependent.  The  colors  which  they  carried  were  those  of 
the  United  States;  the  flag  staffs  bore  the  figure  of  a 
woman  in  a  flowing  Grecian  robe.  These  colors  were 
presented  as  they  passed  the  platform,  all  upon  it  rising, 
the  commissioners  with  the  rest. 

The  column  marched  in  silence,  until  the  middle 
of  the  first  corps  of  twenty-five  thousand  men  was  oppo- 
site us,  when  suddenly  at  a  word  their  drums  beat  a 
charge,  and  immediately  the  voices  of  the  entire  corps 
burst  forth,  clear  and  strong,  in  the  Hymn  of  the  Nation- 
ality, which  had  been  sung  upon  the  same  spot  by  the 
labor  directors. 


The  March  of  the  Three  Hundred  Thousand     369 

"Hail!    all  hail!    We  march,  an  army  grand, 

With  weapons  bright,  in  strength  and  might, 

To  consecrate  this  noble  land, 

This  soil  on  which  we  tread,  rich  in  its  patriot  dead, 

By  proclamation  stern  and  loud, 

By  cannon's  peal  and  clash  of  steel, 

To  Man,  to  Freedom,  and  to  God." 

The  effect  was  electrical  and  grand  in  the  extreme. 
No  one  on  that  platform  doubted  that,  when  the  word 
was  given,  those  men  would  charge,  singing  that  same 
nymn,  upon  any  foe  before  them.  I  looked  at  Clothilde, 
who  was  standing  in  the  front.  Her  eyes  were  flashing, 
and  her  dark  cheek  was  glowing  with  patriotic  fervor. 

The  second  corps  marched  by  in  perfect  silence,  but 
the  third,  at  the  same  point  as  the  first,  broke  forth  in  the 
words  and  music  of  the  song,  and  this  was  repeated  by 
every  alternate  corps  as  they  passed  on. 

For  four  long  hours  the  men  filed  by,  while  we  re- 
mained standing  upon  the  platform.  About  6  o'clock 
the  rear  of  the  column  passed,  and  the  review  was  over. 

Governor  Brooks  of  Iowa,  from  amidst  the  com- 
missioners, mounted  on  a  chair,  and  gave  notice  that 
they  were  requested  to  meet  at  7  p.  m.  in  the  academy 
of  music,  and  turning  to  General  Canly  asked  him  if  he 
would  attend  the  meeting  for  a  few  moments  as  soon  as 
they  had  organized. 

The  General  replied  that  he  would  be  in  his  office 
at  that  hour,  and  would  await  their  pleasure. 

The  great  crowd  melted  rapidly  away,  and  I  es- 
corted Clothilde  to  her  carriage  and  went  with  her  to  her 
home. 

By  General  Canly's  request  I  was  at  his  office  at  7 
o'clock,  and  very  shortly  he  was  informed  by  a  commit- 
tee from  the  commissioners  of  their  organization.     He 


370  John  Harvey 

desired  General  Knox  and  myself  to  attend  him,  and  we 
proceeded  at  once  to  the  academy,  where  the  commission- 
ers were  in  waiting. 

Governor  Brooks  presided,  and  we  were  escorted  to 
the  platform,  where  General  Knox  and  I  took  seats, 
General  Canly  and  the  Governor  remaining  standing. 

"We  desire,  General,"  said  the  latter,  "in  the  inter- 
ests of  certain  action  which  we  intend  to  take  at  once,  to 
ask  you  a  few  questions.  Will  you  please  inform  us  how 
many  men  you  have  at  Oberon?" 

General  Canly  replied:  "By  to-morrow  night,  sir, 
six  hundred  thousand  well-armed  men,  such  as  you  have 
seen  to-day,  will  be  camped  around  that  place.  Within 
twelve  hours  I  can  reinforce  them  by  two  hundred  thou- 
sand more,  and  in  a  week  I  could  double  the  entire  num- 
ber." 

"Then,  General,"  said  Governor  Brooks,  "if  you  be 
at  liberty  to  tell  us,  we  wish  to  know  what  will  occur  if 
the  President  persist  in  his  attempt  to  cross  the  river  with 
his  troops.    Will  he  be  permitted  to  do  so?" 

"I  desire  to  be  courteous  with  you,  gentlemen,"  said 
General  Canly,  with  the  light  of  battle  shining  in  his  face. 
"I  think  you  are  met  here  in  the  interests  of  peace,  and 
in  those  interests  I  will  reply  to  your  question  frankly, 
hoping  that  my  answer  will  not  be  considered  an  idle 
boast,  but  a  solemn  warning.  The  President  was  yester- 
day informed  by  telegram  from  me  that  the  crossing  of 
the  river  would  be  considered  a  hostile  action.  He  may 
cross  that  river  with  three  hundred  thousand,  or  five 
hundred  thousand  men,  but  he  will  never  recross  it. 
Within  three  days  thereafter  his  forces  will  either  have 
surrendered  or  been  annihilated." 

There  was  a  pause  for  a  moment  in  the  questioning, 
and  then  Governor  Brooks    resumed:      "Suppose    the 


The  March  of  the  Three  Hundred  Thousand    371 

President  halts  his  men  upon  or  near  the  east  bank  of 
the  river,  what  will  be  your  action?" 

"That,"  replied  General  Canly,  "I  cannot  tell.  I  can 
only  say  in  my  opinion  his  security  in  such  event  depends 
upon  my  further  orders.  The  men  you  saw  to-day,  gen- 
tlemen," he  added,  turning  to  the  commissioners,  "are 
no  holiday  soldiers.  They  are  used  to  finishing  a  busi- 
ness without  unnecessary  delay.  Is  'that  all,  gentlemen?" 
he  inquired,  after  a  moment's  pause. 

"It  is,"  said  Governor  Brooks.  "We  are  obliged  to 
you,  General." 

We  departed,  and  on  returning  to  headquarters  I 
received  orders  to  start  by  midnight  with  my  guns  for 
Oberon. 

I  sent  word  to  Clothilde  that  I  wished  to  meet  her 
at  eleven, and  hastened  to  give  the  necessary  instruction  to 
my  aides,  and  to  see  that  everything  was  in  readiness 
for  movement.  Then  I  visited  my  betrothed.  I  found 
her  anxious,  but  brave,  and  I  told  her  of  my  orders. 

"Oh!"  she  cried,  "this  solemn  day  presaged  a  solemn 
ending,  and  yet  it  shall  not  be  sad.  You  are  my  soldier, 
and  you  will  return  to  me  with  duty  well  performed.  The 
General  is  right;  a  lesson  must  be  taught;  this  land  must 
be  protected,  for  it  is  the  hope  of  the  world.  I  will  not 
detain  you,  Herbert,  but  oh!  be  careful  of  yourself,  and 
let  me  hear  daily  from  you.  If  you  want  me  I  will  come 
to  you  at  once." 

I  took  her  in  my  arms  and  embraced  her  tenderly, 
and  then  departed  for  the  stern  duties  which  I  thought 
awaited  me. 

I  saw  General  Canly  a  few  moments  and  received 
further  orders,  and  he  informed  me  that  he  expected  to 
leave  Neuropolis  to  take  active  command  on  the  day  fol- 
lowing. 


372  John  Harvey 

We  were  soon  on  our  way,  passing  during  the  night, 
and  part  of  the  next  morning,  through  the  fields  and  vil- 
lages of  the  Nationality,  and  reached  Oberon  by  noon. 

A  great  army  of  six  hundred  thousand  men  was  as- 
sembled there  ready  for  onward  movement.  Constant 
dispatches  from  Omaha  kept  us  informed  of  the  enemy's 
position.  His  troops,  numbering  fully  four  hundred  thou- 
sand men,  still  lay  twenty  miles  east  of  Omaha,  but  had 
made  no  forward  movement. 

Nor  was  any  ever  made.  Events  occurred  that  stop- 
ped aggression,  and  settled  all  disputes  between  the  Gov- 
ernment and  the  Nationality,  and  ended  finally  in  that 
reign  of  peace  which  has  since  been  so  glorious  among  us. 

On  the  night  I  left  Neuropolis,  the  following  tele- 
grams were  sent  to  the  President: 

"For  God's  sake,  and  the  country's,  halt  your  troops 
at  once.  If  you  cross  the  river,  your  army  will  be  ground 
to  powder.  Six  hundred  thousand  well-armed,  well-drilled 
men  await  your  coming;  a  million  will  confront  you  a 
few  days  later." 

This  telegram  was  signed  by  all  the  commissioners. 
Another  and  more  private  one,  from  the  two  governors, 
read: 

"Remove  your  troops  to  a  safe  distance.  Their  very 
presence  on  the  border  provokes  this  people,  and  may 
bring  about  hostilities.  There  must  be  no  war;  the  gov- 
ernor of  Iowa  and  the  governor  of  California  say  so. 
There  is  no  cause  for  war;  this  matter  must  be  settled 
differently.  We  leave  the  city  to-morrow  evening.  We 
respectfully  request  an  immediate  reply  as  to  your  inten- 
tions." 

No  answer  was  received,  however,  and  the  governors 
of  the  two  states,  before  departing,  advised  General  Canly 
and  tlie  councilors  of  their  action. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

THE    UNION    OF    THE    STATES. 

By  the  20th  of  February  the  reports  of  most  of  the 
commissioners  who  had  visited  the  Nationality  were 
made  public. 

They  all  admitted  that  great  prosperity  and  content- 
ment existed,  and  that  the  people  were  united,  and  at- 
tached to  their  form  of  government.  They  asserted  that 
the  two  labor  systems  existing  in  the  country  were  antag- 
onistic, and  that  the  question  of  which  should  prevail  was 
one  to  be  determined  by  the  people. 

Prior  to  this  time  the  President  had  called  authori- 
tatively upon  the  governors  of  the  states  which  were  de- 
linquent for  their  quotas  of  troops,  and  his  demands  were 
in  many  cases  submitted  to  the  various  state  legislatures 
then  in  session. 

The  action  taken  by  these  bodies  was  such  that  the 
governors  of  the  Pacific  Coast  states,  and  those  lying 
westward  of  the  Nationality,  and  of  several  of  the  South- 
ern states,  refused  absolutely  to  furnish  men,  or  money, 
alleging  that  the  cause  was  morally  insufficient  to  war- 
rant the  government  in  a  resort  to  force. 

The  states  of  Texas,  Missouri.  Arkansas  and  Okla- 
homa, which  had  formally  decided  to  join  the  Nationality, 
made  no  answer.  The  basis  of  union  had  already  been 
determined  upon,  and  the  necessary  laws  were  passed 
by  their  legislatures,  notwithstanding  that  all  means, 
some  of  very  doubtful  character,  had  been  used  to  pre- 
vent such  action. 

373 


374  John  Harvey 

The  plan  of  union  showed  the  care  with  which  the 
admission  of  new  citizens  was  guarded  by  the  Nationality. 

Skilled  appraisers  had  classified,  and  valued  all  pro- 
ductive property  within  each  state.  They  had  also  sched- 
uled the  indebtedness  of  the  state,  and  of  her  citizens,  to 
foreigners,  and  to  each  other,  and  all  credits,  and  other 
resources. 

The  undertaking  of  the  Nationality  was  to  assume 
the  indebtedness  of  the  states,  and  to  succeed  to  all  their 
property  and  resources. 

The  citizens,  men,  women  and  children,  had  been  en- 
rolled with  name,  age,  occupation,  and  pecuniary  condi- 
tion. Boards  of  examiners  were  appointed  to  inquire 
into  the  qualifications  of  all  who  applied  for  admission 
into  the  Nationality,  and  if  passed  they  were  divided  into 
two  classes. 

First — Persons  under  the  age  of  forty-five  years,  who 
came  in,  partially  at  least,  under  the  labor  system. 

Second — Those  entering  after  that  age  and  by  virtue 
of  payment  of  money  or  property. 

Of  the  first  class,  each  person  admitted  past  the  age 
of  citizenship,  was  required  to  bring  into  the  Nationality 
money,  or  property,  at  appraised  valuation,  as  follows: 
Two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  for  each  year  lost  up  to 
the  age  of  twenty-four,  the  marriageable  age  encouraged 
by  the  Nationality.  After  the  age  of  twenty-four  and  to 
the  age  of  thirty,  three  hundred  dollars  for  each  year  lost 
between  these  ages.  After  the  age  of  thirty  and  to  the 
age  of  forty,  an  additional  sum  of  four  hundred  dollars 
for  each  year  lost  between  these  ages.  If  the  applicant 
were  married  the  payment  of  these  sums  admitted  not 
only  himself  to  citizenship  and  allowance,  but  his  wife, 
and  also  his  children  born  to  him  after  the  age  of  twenty- 
four. 


The   Union  of  the  States  375 

A  person  then  of  the  age  of  thirty  must  pay  in  three 
thousand  three  hundred  dollars;  of  the  age  of  forty,  seven 
thousand  three  hundred  dollars.  All  these  citizens  were 
also  required  to  labor  till  the  age  of  forty-five. 

Each  person  admitted  after  the  age  of  forty  and  up 
to  forty-five  must  pay  the  sum  of  five  hundred  dollars 
additional  for  each  year  lost  between  those  ages,  but 
neither  wife,  nor  children,  were  admitted  by  this  payment. 

Persons  of  the  second  class  were  admitted  on  the 
payment  of  ten  thousand  dollars  at  the  age  of  forty-five, 
and  increasing  sums  at  increasing  ages,  and  this  pay- 
ment did  not  make  their  families  citizens. 

There  were  in  these  states  persons,  otherwise  well 
qualified,  who  had  not  property  sufficient  to  enable  them 
to  enter  the  Nationality.  These  might  be  admitted  by  a 
system  of  indirect  payment,  its  amount  being  the  same 
as  that  required  of  others  of  the  same  age.  They  could 
be  credited  with  a  portion  of  the  surplus  paid  by  the 
wealthier  over  what  was  necessary  for  their  own  admis- 
sion. The  latter  were  allowed  to  designate,  among  those 
approved  by  the  examiners,  the  parties  to  whom  such 
credit  should  be  given. 

No  one  was  compelled  to  join  the  Nationality,  and 
yet  the  laws  passed  by  the  legislatures  of  these  states,  to 
take  effect  concurrently  with  their  admission  to  the  Na- 
tionality, made  it  to  the  interest  of  all  qualified  persons 
to  become  members  speedily. 

These  laws  abolished  descents  and  distributions,  wills 
and  testaments,  probate  courts,  etc.,  and  provided  for  the 
escheating  of  all  property  to  the  state  at  the  owner's 
death.  They  also  provided  for  the  merger  of  one  judicial 
district  into  another,  and  the  reduction  of  the  number 
of  civil  courts  and  judges  as  the  people  of  the  district 
joined  the  Nationality,  and  also  for  similar  merger  of 


376  John  Harvey 

many  other  offices.  The  expenses  of  these  courts  and 
offices  were  hereafter  to  be  paid  by  litigants,  and  persons 
doing  business  with  them. 

Similar  laws  were  also  passed  for  the  merger  of  the 
criminal  courts,  and  it  was  provided  that  in  cases  of  of- 
fense against  private  property  the  cost  of  the  proceedings 
should  be  paid  by  the  owners. 

Laws  were  passed  in  regard  to  the  support  of  other 
public  officers  and  of  prisons,  reformatories,  etc.,  and  in 
regard  to  the  poor  and  those  incapable  of  labor,  not  being 
citizens  of  the  Nationality,  dividing  the  charges  for  all 
these  things  equitably  between  the  Nationality  and  those 
who  yet  desired  to  remain  under  the  old  system. 

These  laws  were  drawn  with  the  utmost  fearlessness 
and  impartiality,  casting  upon  each  class  all  the  burdens 
imposed  by  their  system,  and  dividing  mutual  ones  equit- 
ably between  them. 

Within  a  few  years  after  the  union,  almost  the  entire 
population  of  these  states  became  citizens  of  the  Na- 
tionality, and  their  people  were  very  soon  as  homogeneous 
and  as  prosperous  as  any  portion  of  it. 

There  was  another  feature,  to  which  I  must  refer  as 
being  a  matter  of  compromise  having  much  to  do  in 
bringing  about  this  wonderful  change.  The  city  of  St. 
Louis  had  been  opposed  to  it,  and  her  interests  were  so 
great  that  a  promise  was  made  to  conserve  them  by  the 
erection  of  extensive  works  of  a  public  nature  within  her 
limits.  The  assurance  was  also  given  that  she  should 
be  the  directing  city  of  the  labor  interests  of  a  large  part 
of  the  Mississippi  states,  if  the  latter  should  join  the  Na- 
cionality,  and  she  was  thus  started  well  forward  in  the 
race  for  becoming  the  great  governmental  city  of  the 
Union. 

All  these  preliminaries  had  been  settled  and  agreed 


1 he   Union  of  the  States  377 

upon  by  the  20th  of  March,  1936,  and  on  that  day  the 
legislatures  of  the  four  states  passed  an  ordinance  declar- 
ing that  they  desired  admission  to  the  Nationality,  and 
that  all  of  their  people  thereafter  becoming  citizens  there- 
of should  be  governed  by  its  principles  and  regulations, 
and  be  entitled  to  its  benefits. 

A  month  later  this  ordinance  was  approved  by  the 
people  of  the  Nationality,  and  these  four  great  states  be- 
came part  and  parcel  of  its  organization,  increasing  its 
population  to  an  aggregate  of  thirteen  million  persons. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

THE  NATIONAL  LABOR  UNION. 

I  now  return  to  the  history  of  the  forces  left  con- 
fronting each  other  on  the  banks  of  the  Missouri,  and 
to  the  narration  of  occurrences  in  the  Eastern  states  which 
speedily  gave  other  employment  than  that  intended,  to 
the  army  of  invasion. 

The  condition  of  the  people  of  those  states  had  be- 
come heart-rending.  Though  the  late  levies  of  troops 
had  been  taken  largely  from  among  the  ranks  of  the  un- 
employed, thousands  of  that  class  yet  remained  in  the 
great  cities,  and  were  daily  becoming  more  vicious,  and 
ready  to  take  by  force  what  they  were  denied  the  right 
to  acquire  by  labor. 

On  the  23d  of  February  a  riot  of  alarming  propor- 
tions broke  out  in  the  City  of  New  York,  which  was 
quickly  followed  by  similar  disturbances  in  many  Other 
places. 

The  authorities  appealed  to  their  state  governments 
for  aid,  and  they  called  upon  their  militia,  but  so  universal 
had  become  the  contempt  for  the  rotten  administration 
of  both  municipal  and  state  affairs  that  assistance  was 
stolidly  refused.  The  authorities  therefore  invoked  the 
aid  of  the  General  Government,  and  in  self-preservation 
it  was  necessitated  to  respond  at  once. 

By  the  1st  of  March  the  army  lately  assembled  near 
the  Missouri  had  been  divided  to  meet  these  demands, 
and  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  of  its  troops  pre- 
served a  semblance  of  order  in  New  York  City,  and  one 

378 


The  National  Labor   Union  379 

hundred  thousand  more  scarcely  kept  the  peace  in  Chi- 
cago. A  large  force  was  also  required  in  each  of  the 
cities  of  Philadelphia  and  Cincinnati,  and  other  detach- 
ments were  employed  in  various  places  guarding  rail- 
roads and  private  property. 

As  the  government  troops  were  thus  recalled,  the 
forces  of  the  Nationality  were  disbanded,  leaving  only  a 
few  thousand  men  in  the  disputed  townships  to  meet  any 
renewed  attempt  upon  them. 

On  the  nth  of  March  a  meeting  of  the  governors 
of  many  of  the  eastern,  middle  and  southern  states  was 
held  at  the  City  of  Buffalo,  ostensibly  for  devising  some 
plan  for  the  relief  of  the  people,  and  the  restoration  of 
law  and  order.  The  project  was  there  broached  of  form- 
ing a  new  nation,  whose  western  boundary  should  be  the 
Mississippi  and  Missouri  Rivers,  leaving  the  Nationality 
and  the  Pacific  Coast  states  to  their  own  devices. 

This  plan  met  with  the  disapproval  of  the  represent- 
atives present  from  the  southern  states;  but  after  their 
departure,  those  of  the  remaining  states,  seventeen  in 
number,  entered  into  an  alliance  for  forming  an  inde- 
pendent government  among  themselves. 

The  scheme  was  that  of  the  Money  Power.  Know- 
ing itself  defeated  in  its  attack  on  the  Nationality,  it  en- 
deavored to  perpetuate  the  system  upon  which  its  exist- 
ence depended,  by  its  usual  tactics  of  dividing  its  ene- 
mies, and  creating  dissension  among  them. 

On  the  15th  of  March,  John  Paul  and  Philip  Oram 
introduced  into  the  respective  houses  of  which  they 
were  members  concurrent  bills  providing  for  the  sub- 
mission of  certain  constitutional  amendments  to  the  leg- 
islatures of  the  several  states  and  the  enactment  of  a  law 
regulating  immigration. 


380  John  Harvey 

The  amendments  contemplated  were  three  in  num- 
ber and  were  as  follows: 

"First — That  the  right  of  any  state,  or  aggregation 
of  states,  to  adopt  any  system  of  ownership  of  property, 
and  of  labor,  and  government  of  the  same,  and  especially 
the  system  now  known  as  the  Nationalistic  System,  shall 
not  be  denied  or  abridged;  provided  that  the  citizens  of 
such  state,  or  aggregation  of  states,  who  conform  to  such 
system,  have  the  right  to  select  the  directors,  or  man- 
agers, of  property  owned  under,  and  officers  engaged  in 
conducting  it;  and  provided  further,  that  no  person,  with- 
out his  consent  thereto,  be  deprived  of  property  during 
his  life  by  the  adoption  of  such  system. 

"Second — That  the  right  of  any  state,  or  states,  to 
ally  themselves  together,  or  to  join  other  states,  for  the 
purpose  of  peaceably  promoting  and  extending  such  sys- 
tem of  ownership,  and  of  labor  and  the  government 
thereof,  shall  not  be  denied  by  the  United  States;  nor 
shall  the  intendment  that  persons  joining  such  system 
of  ownership,  labor  and  government,  and  their  families 
participating  in  the  benefits  resulting  therefrom,  shall  be 
bound  by  the  laws,  rules  and  regulations  thereof,  be  de- 
nied by  the  United  States;  nor  shall  Congress  make  any 
laws  in  contravention  thereof. 

"Third — That  the  right  of  any  state,  or  aggregation 
of  states,  to  abolish  or  change  the  laws  in  regard  to  de- 
scents and  distributions,  wills  and  testaments,  and  to  pass 
laws  causing  all  property  at  the  death  of  the  owner  to 
escheat  to  the  state,  and  also  to  pass  laws  distributing  the 
burdens  of  government,  and  of  the  care  and  protection 
of  property,  equitably,  as  the  same  may  be  occasioned 
by  diverse  systems,  among  the  citizens  living  under  the 
system  by  which  the  same  is  wholly,  or  chiefly,  or  in  part 
incurred,  shall  not  be  denied  by  the  United  States,  nor 


The  National  Labor   Union  381 

shall  Congress  pass  any  law  abridging,  or  interfering, 
with  said  rights." 

The  bill  relating  to  foreign  immigration  read  as  fol- 
lows: 

"That  a  Bureau  of  Immigration  be  established  to 
have  full  control  of  that  department,  and  to  be  in  con- 
stant correspondence  with  foreign  bureaus,  as  well  as 
those  within  the  United  States,  and  to  make  known  to 
them  the  laws,  rules  and  regulations  in  regard  to  immi- 
gration. 

"That  twelve  ports  of  entry  be  designated,  at  which 
alone  immigrants  shall  be  allowed  to  land,  to  wit:  Bos- 
ton, New  York,  Philadelphia,  Baltimore,  Charleston, 
Xew  Orleans,  Corpus  Christi,  San  Francisco,  Tacoma, 
Seattle.  Duluth  and  Chicago. 

"That  a  board  of  not  less  than  three,  nor  more  than 
six  examiners  shall  be  appointed  at  each  of  said  ports, 
who  shall  receive,  care  for,  and  examine  immigrants  ap- 
plying: for  admission  into  the  United  States,  noting  care- 
fully: 

"First — The  applicant's  name,  age  and  nationality, 
and  if  married  that  of  each  member  of  his  family. 

"Second — His  moral  character,  to  be  certified  by  not 
less  than  three  reliable  and  trustworthy  persons  who  have 
known  him  for  at  least  five  years  previous  to  his  coming 
to  this  country. 

"Third — His  intelligence  and  health,  to  be  judged 
of  by  the  examiners  and  their  attendant  physicians. 

"The  applicant  must  he  of,  or  over,  the  age  of  eigh- 
teen, if  male,  and  fifteen  if  female,  of  good  moral  char- 
acter, able  to  read  and  write  fluently,  and  in  reasonable 
health,  and  shall  be  required  to  state  the  occupation  in 
which  he  desires  to  engage,  the  particular  portion  of  the 
United  States  where  he  intends  to  locate,  and  the  bureau 


382  John  Harvey 

of  immigration,  or  the  officers  of  the  labor  system,  with 
whom  he  has  been  in  correspondence,  or  if  there  be  none 
such,  then  some  reliable,  responsible  citizen  in  that  local- 
ity, with  whom  he  has  corresponded.  He  must  also  have 
sufficient  pecuniary  means  to  reach  his  intended  destina- 
tion, and  have  remaining  a  sum  equal  to  that  now  re- 
quired of  citizens  of  the  states  of  Texas,  Missouri,  Ar- 
kansas, and  Oklahoma,  of  the  same  age  as  himself,  upon 
joining  the  Nationality. 

"If  the  applicant  fail  in  any  of  these  particulars,  he 
shall  at  once  be  returned  to  the  foreign  port  from  whence 
he  came,  at  the  cost  of  the  transportation  company 
bringing  him  hither.  If  competent  for  admission,  he 
shall  pay  the  sum  before  mentioned  into  a  United  States 
depository,  and  the  examiners  shall  telegraph  all  partic- 
ulars in  regard  to  him  to  the  officer,  agent  or  person  with 
whom  he  stated  he  had  been  in  correspondence,  inquir- 
ing if  such  correspondence  has  been  had,  and  if  such 
officer,  agent,  or  person  desire  to  receive  him. 

"Upon  an  affirmative  reply,  the  examiners  shall  send 
such  immigrant  and  his  family,  if  such  there  be,  to  such 
officer,  agent  or  person,  transmitting  at  the  same  time 
the  certificate  of  deposit  of  his  money,  to  be  paid  to  him 
on  his  arrival,  or  to  be  credited  as  an  entrance  fee  if  he 
be  sent  to  any  officer  of  the  Nationalistic  labor  system." 

The  bill  further  provided  that  this  act,  and  the  con- 
stitutional amendments,  if  adopted,  should  go  into  effect 
on  the  fourth  day  of  July,  1936. 

The  introduction  of  these  bills  was  followed  by  such 
a  storm  of  opposition  in  both  houses  as  had  never  before 
been  witnessed.  All  the  influence  of  the  Money  Power 
was  employed  against  them.  They  were  declared  anti- 
republican,  revolutionary,  and  dangerous.  Including 
the  representatives   from  the   Nationalistic   states,   they 


The  National  Labor   Union  383 

had  the  support  of  a  respectable  minority  in  both  houses, 
but  it  was  soon  evident  that  they  could  not  pass  the 
present  Congress. 

Meanwhile  the  condition  of  affairs  throughout  the 
country  had  been  rapidly  growing  worse,  and  was  now 
almost  intolerable.  Business  was  entirely  disorganized, 
finance  and  credit  wrecked,  and  the  poor  were  unable 
in  many  cases  to  earn  their  bread.  Deaths  from  starva- 
tion among  men,  women  and  children  were  so  frequent 
as  to  pass  almost  unnoticed,  and  the  number  of  suicides 
became  appalling.  The  whole  country  was  like  a  vast 
fever  ward,  ill  regulated  and  unclean,  whose  patients  were 
suffering  and  dying  from  want  of  proper  nourishment 
and  care. 

The  situation  of  the  governments  of  the  nation,  and 
of  the  states,  outside  those  composing  the  Nationality, 
was  deplorable. 

A  spirit  of  disobedience  to  laws  and  regulations,  af- 
firmed with  reason  to  be  made  only  in  the  interests  of  the 
rich  and  powerful,  was  abroad  among  the  masses. 

In  the  city  of  Pittsburg  a  mob  of  great  proportions 
had  for  some  weeks  held  possession  of  a  suburb,  had  forti- 
fied it  and  appropriated  goods  by  car  loads,  and  a  reign 
of  terror  was  inaugurated. 

The  new  levies  by  which  the  army  had  been  recruited 
were  unreliable,  nearly  one-half  of  them  having  already 
deserted.  In  fact,  toward  the  end  of  April,  1936,  the  gov- 
ernments of  these  states,  and  of  the  nation,  were  on  the 
verge  of  dissolution. 

On  this  spectacle  all  right-minded  citizens  looked 
with  pity  and  indignation,  and  compared  it  with  the  hap- 
piness and  plenty  they  had  seen,  or  been  assured  was  ex- 
istent, in  the  Nationality;  and  many  of  the  rich  even 


384  John  Harvey 

sought  refuge  within  its  borders  from  the  distresses  and 
calamities  of  the  times. 

In  the  latter  part  of  March,  the  Money  Power  had 
broached  their  project  of  division  of  the  country,  and  now 
pushed  it  in  congress,  and  among  the  state  legislatures, 
with  the  desperation  of  gamblers  staking  all  upon  a  single 
card.  They  declared  the  interests  of  the  country  had 
grown  too  diverse  to  be  managed  by  a  single  government, 
and  division  to  be  the  only  means  of  securing  peace  be- 
tween antagonistic  systems. 

They  advocated  it  in  public  speeches;  they  filled  the 
press  with  references  to  dangers  and  distresses,  and  prom- 
ises of  deliverance  and  reform;  they  procured  support  for 
it  by  appeals  to  personal  cupidity,  lust  of  power,  and  other 
base  and  selfish  motives.  So  successful  were  their  efforts 
that  toward  the  end  of  April  the  first  steps  in  the  project 
seemed  assured,  and  a  majority  of  both  houses  of  con- 
gress looked  favorably  on  it. 

But  a  power,  hitherto  unreckoned,  was  about  to  in- 
terfere, and  unsettle  all  these  plans.  The  labor  organiza- 
tions, long  discordant,  had  for  months  been  silently  en- 
gaged in  federation  and  in  preparation,  and  were  now 
united  in  one  great  union  with  a  common  purpose,  which 
found  expression  in  its  motto :  "Justice,  Equality,  and 
Fraternity." 

This  union  was  about  to  show  its  strength,  as  irresisti- 
ble as  the  tides  of  ocean. 

On  April  24th  it  made  proclamation,  that  on  the  26th 
organized  labor  would  cease  throughout  the  land,  warning- 
all  persons  to  supply  themselves  with  necessaries,  and  in- 
forming the  poor  where  thereafter  they  could  be  provided 
with  them;  forbidding  the  sale  of  intoxicants  on  peril  of 
confiscation,  or  destruction  of  such  goods;  and  robbery, 
rioting  and  incendiarism  on  pain  of  instant  death. 


The  National  Labor   Union  385 

This  proclamation  was  published  throughout  the 
United  States,  except  within  the  Nationality,  and  its  au- 
thoritative and  determined  tone  commanded  universal 
attention,  and  excited  much  apprehension. 

On  'the  morning  of  the  26th  labor  ceased  throughout 
this  vast  extent  of  territory. 

Trains  readied  the  cities  and  their  conductors  and 
employes  left  them;  the  mails  remained  unopened;  news- 
paper offices  were  tenantless;  workshops  were  deserted; 
manufactories  were  silent;  stores  were  destitute  of  sales- 
men; all  business  stopped,  and  a  more  than  Sabbath  still- 
ness descended  on  the  land. 

In  the  cities  armed  patrols,  wearing  white  sashes, 
occupied  the  streets,  and  enforced  such  orders  as  were 
issued  by  the  leaders  of  the  union. 

Any  concourse  of  the  populace  was  at  once  dispersed; 
public  buildings  were  thrown  open  for  the  shelter  of  the 
poor  and  needy,  and  they  were  supplied  with  necessaries 
taken  for  the  purpose,  due  bills  of  the  union  being  given 
for  them. 

As  the  day  wore  on,  the  stillness  and  the  apprehension 
grew  oppressive.  Employers  sought  their  employes  to 
learn  from  them  the  cause  of  this  strange  action,  but 
learned  nothing;  transportation  companies  sent  out  agents 
to  hire  other  men  to  man  their  boats  and  run  their  trains, 
but  found  none  willing.  Civic  authorities  consulted  with 
each  other  as  to  the  meaning  of  this  strange  intrusion  on 
established  rights,  but  were  none  the  wiser;  and  in  the 
face  of  armed  patrols  upon  the  streets,  and  the  awful 
might  of  those  who  put  them  there  dared  make  no 
struggle. 

The  day  passed  slowly  by  in  silence  and  conjecture, 
and  the  night  came  on,  and  the  white-sashed  guards  were 
doubled.    In  the  city  of  New  York  two  hundred  thousand 


386  John  Harvey 

men  patrolled  the  streets,  and  in  other  cities  overpower- 
ing numbers,  and  peace  unusual  reigned. 

The  next  day  came  in  still  greater  quiet.  Vessels  lay 
idly  at  their  moorings,  or  by  their  unfrequented  wharves; 
motors  rested  supinely  in  their  stables;  men  walked  who 
used  to  ride  in  crowded  trains  to  business,  and  found  no 
business. 

The  factories  were  noiseless,  their  useless  fires  were 
dying  in  their  ashes;  the  very  streets  were  silent  and  de- 
serted; for,  as  with  one  accord,  the  members  of  the  union 
kept  within  their  homes,  and  others  did  so  also,  dreading 
some  disaster. 

There  was  no  rioting,  nor  disturbance;  stern  men 
dispersed  all  crowds;  the  occupation  of  police  and  troops 
was  gone,  and  both  lay  idly  in  their  quarters^  for  the  folly 
of  their  interference  was  apparent. 

The  day  dragged  slowly  by;  night  came;  the  guards 
were  doubled;  another  morning  dawned,  with  the  same 
unvarying  stillness. 

Apprehension  took  on  deeper  s'hades,  for  want  was 
imminent.  Supplies  were  failing,  even  water,  light  and 
heat,  which  the  laborers  still  furnished,  were  dependent  on 
the  stock  of  fuel,  and  this  was  scant. 

The  value  of  a  man  rose  in  the  market.  Employers 
sought  their  employes  and  begged  them  to  return  to  ser- 
vice, and  offered  higher  wages,  but  received  no  answer. 
Officials  telegraphed  the  Government,  but  there  was  no 
power  competent  to  drive  ten  million  men  to  labor;  in  all 
their  providence  the  Money  Power  had  passed  no  statute 
for  that  purpose. 

Fear  seized  upon  the  dwellers  in  the  cities  who  were 
strangers  to  this  movement;  fear  not  for  property  alone, 
but  life  itself. 

And  so  the  day  wore  by;  another  dawned  upon  the 


The  National  Labor   Union  .    387 

land;  and  still  the  awful  quiet  reigned  supreme.  Men 
waited  for  the  hour  when  the  workmen  would  resume 
their  labors,  but  they  gave  no  sign. 

Self-imagined  kings  of  the  earth  met  secretly,  and 
whispered  to  each  other:  "The  world  must  suffer;  we  our- 
selves must  suffer,  want,  or  die,  if  the  laborers  refuse  to 
work;  if  this  strange  apathy  continue;  can  the  govern- 
ment do  nothing?" 

They  telegraphed  to  Washington,  to  Albany,  and 
like  centers,  but  uselessly;  all  officers  were  terrified,  and 
nerveless.  The  rulers  of  the  land  found  no  one  now  so 
poor  to  do  them  reverence. 

The  horses  of  the  sun  had  ceased  to  draw  its  chariot, 
and  it  now  moved  only  by  its  own  momentum. 

The  vital  forces  of  the  body  politic  had  left  it,  and 
now  hung  in  threatening  thunder  clouds  above  it. 

Vesuvian  fires  burned  beneath  this  awful  quiet,  and 
must  result  in  earthquakes  and  convulsions. 

Forebodings  filled  the  souls  of  men  lately  in  power, 
who  imagined  chaos  would  follow  if  their  rule  were  ended. 
Night  came  on ;  again  the  guards  were  doubled.  The 
morning  dawned;  trains  were  reported  moving  through 
the  land  toward  the  great  cities.  But  they  were  directed 
by  some  strange  power  that  refused  conveyance  to  all  but 
its  own  subjects;  and  these  were  men — most  of  them  sons 
of  toil,  and  heavy-handed.  They  reached  their  destina- 
tion and  were  shown  to  lodgings ;  in  armories,  in  theaters, 
and  other  public  places.  They  came  in  overwhelming 
numbers;  and  alarm  increased,  for  these  were  alien  to  the 
cities,  and  were  men  of  will  and  might,  whose  designs 
were  hidden,  but  whose  strength  already  had  been  felt. 

That  day  passed  by  in  quiet,  but  the  next,  the  first  of 
May,  looked  down  on  something  terrible. 

In  every  town  and  city  of  the  land,  great  bands  of 


388  John  Harvey 

men,  wearing  white  sashes,  were  assembling;  their  faces 
stern;  their  words  but  few;  their  purposes  unknown,  save 
to  themselves. 

The  scene  was  most  imposing  in  the  greatest  cities;  I 
shall  attempt  description  of  that  witnessed  in  New  York. 

It  was  10  o'clock  a.  m.,  and  the  streets  were  quiet; 
for  one  hundred  thousand  guards  patrolled  them,  and  al- 
lowed no  idle  concourse  of  the  populace. 

Down  on  the  Battery,  and  on  all  the  streets  around 
the  Bay,  great  multitudes  of  men,  wearing  white  sashes, 
were  forming  into  column.  All  carried  knapsacks  and 
blankets,  as  do  soldiers  on  the  march,  and  many,  who 
moved  in  companies  to  their  places,  bore  weapons  in  their 
hands. 

An  hour  later  that  column  began  its  movement  up 
Broadway.  A  hundred  thousand  armed  men  marched  in 
front,  filling  the  street  from  side  to  side  completely,  and 
other  hundred  thousands  followed  after,  wheeling  into 
line  from  out  the  crowded  side  streets  round  the  Battery. 
Save  the  sound  of  marching  feet  the  column  moved 
in  silence  till  its  armed  head  had  reached  the  City  Hall, 
when  the  solemn  booming  of  minute  guns  shook  the  sur- 
rounding buildings,  and  then  the  voices  of  its  first  divis- 
ion broke  forth  in  the  well-known,  oft-repeated  Hymn  of 
the  Nationality: 

"Hail!   all  hail!   We  march  an  army  grand, 

With  weapons  bright,  in  strength  and  might, 

To  consecrate  this  noble  land, 

This  soil  on  which  we  tread,  rich  in  its  patriot  dead, 

By  proclamation  stern  and  loud, 

By  cannon's  peal,  and  clash  of  steel, 

To  Man,  to  Freedom  and  to  God." 
On  up  to  Madison  Square  the  mighty  column  passed, 
and  wheeled  with  rapid  tread  into  Fifth  Avenue  :each  sue- 


The  National  Labor    Union  389 

ceeding  division  repeating  the  Hymn  after  the  preceding 
one  had  finished  it,  while  the  heavy  boom  of  cannon,  from 
the  lower  portion  of  the  city,  gave  the  words  a  terrible  ac- 
centuation. 

It  was  an  awe-inspiring,  fearsome  sight,  in  that  proud 
metropolis.  For  a  hundred  years  Mammon  had  con- 
trolled it,  and  human  life,  and  brawn,  and  labor,  had  been 
cheaply  bought  and  sold.  But  to-day  the  city  and  its 
treasures  lay  at  the  mercy  of  the  class  whose  souls  and 
bodies  had  been  traded  in;  whose  toil,  and  sweat,  and 
blood,  had  made  its  wealth,  and  palaces,  and  splendor, 
possible. 

Without  a  battle  a  mighty  army  had  possession, 
whose  movements  were  mysterious,  whose  purposes  were 
hidden,  but  whose  power  was  supreme. 

Alarm  showed  in  the  faces  of  the  dwellers  in  the  city, 
and  great  fear  fell  on  those  who  had  garnered  in  injustice 
the  harvests  sown  by  other  men. 

Along  the  palatial  avenue  the  mighty  column  moved, 
still  unfolding  its  sinuous  length  from  the  precincts  of 
the  Battery,  until  its  glittering  head  had  passed  the  Fifty- 
ninth  street  entrance  into  Central  Park,  while  its  body 
formed  of  nine  hundred  thousand  white-sashed  men 
stretched  throughout  the  city  to  the  Bay. 

In  the  Park  the  column  halted,  its  divisions  as  they 
reached  it  massing  in  close  order,  and  by  5  o'clock,  when 
the  rear  guard  entered,  an  army  greater  than  any  living 
man  had  seen,  was  gathered  there. 

Then  the  message,  which  I  give  below,  was  read  and 
ordered  sent  at  once  to  Washington: 
"To  the  Senators  and  Representatives   of  the   United 
States,  in  General  Congress  Assembled: 

"One  million  working  men,  who  to-day  marched 
through  the  streets  of  New  York  City,  and  to-night  will 


390  John  Harvey 

camp  in  CentralPark,  demand  of  you,  their  servants,  the 
immediate  passage  of  the  bills  providing  for  the  submis- 
sion of  the  constitutional  amendments  to  the  legislatures 
of  the  states,  and  for  regulating  foreign  immigration." 

The  army  speedily  broke  ranks  and  bivouacked  for 
the  night  on  ground  hitherto  reserved  for  recreation  and 
enjoyment,  but  now  made  memorable  by  the  assembly  of 
these  sons  of  toil,  met  to  redeem  the  land  from  grinding 
monopoly  and  selfish  greed. 

On  that  solemn  first  of  May,  the  Congress  of  the 
United  States  held  a  protracted  session.  All  that  after- 
noon they  listened  with  blanched  faces  to  messages  such 
as  I  have  quoted;  from  five  hundred  thousand  men  met  in 
Chicago;  from  thrice  that  number  camped  in  Boston, 
Philadelphia,  Baltimore,  Pittsburg,  New  Orleans  and 
Cincinnati,  and  from  many  million  more  in  a  hundred 
other  places. 

They  felt  the  land  shake  with  the  tread  of  those  who 
had  given  it  strength  and  prosperity,  who  held  its  riches 
and  its  honors  in  the  hollow  of  their  hands,  and  claimed 
a  portion  of  them  as  their  right,  and  demanded  unwonted 
haste  in  restitution. 

All  through  the  night  the  session  lasted,  made  more 
earnest  by  constant  inquiries  from  the  leaders  of  the  un- 
ion, and  from  citizens  of  beleaguered  cities  as  to  progress; 
and  lo;  when  morning  came,  Congress  had  passed  the 
bills  and  the  President  had  signed  them. 

The  news  was  published  in  the  encampments  of  the 
workmen,  and  at  the  orders  of  their  leaders,  their  armies 
melted  quietly  away,  and  with  stern  satisfaction  the  men 
resumed  their  various  employments.  The  smoke  of  fac- 
tories, the  throb  of  engines,  and  the  whir  of  wheels,  again 
arose;  and  the  cities  breathed  in  safety.  But  that  day, 
when  the  voice  of  the  people  was  as  the  voice  of  God,  will 


The  National  Labor   Union  391 

never  be  forgotten,  for  from  it  is  dated  the  emancipation 
of  the  masses,  and  their  united  and  rapid  progress  in  true 
freedom  and  civilization. 

The  toilers  were  no  longer  slaves,  but  freemen;  ac- 
corded consideration,  and  respect,  commensurate  with 
the  strength  and  dignity  of  the  union  they  had  formed. 

The  legislatures  of  the  states  discussed  the  amend- 
ments so  earnestly  and  effectively  that  by  the  5th  of  June 
they  were  duly  ratified.  Nothing  now  remained  but  the 
official  proclamation  of  the  President  as  to  the  result,  and 
he  announced  this  would  be  issued  on  the  morning  of 
the  4th  day  of  July.  Many  other  events  happened  over 
which  I  must  pass  quickly. 

The  history  of  the  Nationality,  its  labor  system,  and 
everything  concerning  it,  engrossed  the  attention  of  1 
people  determined  on  reform.  It  was  taken  as  the  model 
on  which  to  found  the  civilization  of  the  future.  The 
truth  about  John  Harvey's  life  and  labors,  his  death  and 
burial,  was  made  known,  and  he  was  recognized  as  a 
great  and  philanthropic  leader. 

Clothilde's  parentage,  her  disguise  as  Councilor  Bey- 
resen's  daughter,  were  disclosed,  her  recognition  by  the 
officers  and  soldiers  of  the  Nationalistic  army  was  re- 
counted, and  the  romantic  story  caught  the  public  heart 
and  fancy,  and  she  became  the  heroine  of  the  people.  My 
history  was  given,  and  our  engagement  was  mentioned 
in  the  public  prints. 

Letters  full  of  love  and  inquiry  came  to  her  from 
Spain,  rejoicing  that  she  whom  they  thought  dead  was 
yet  alive,  and  others  reached  me  from  my  people  full  of 
congratulations  and  pleasant  messages. 

The  authorities  of  the  Nationality  had  some  time 
since  begun  their  preparations  for  commemorating  the 
adoption  of  the  amendments  by  a  magnificent  celebra- 


392  John  Harvey 

tion  in  Neuropolis  on  the  4th,  and  now  besought  us  to  fix 
on  that  day  for  our  marriage,  and  to  make  the  ceremony 
a  semi-public  one.  They  urged  this  with  so  much  ear- 
nestness and  with  such  good  and  patriotic  reasons  that  at 
last  we  both  consented. 

It  was,  therefore,  settled  that  our  marriage  should 
take  place  on  the  evening  of  the  4th,  in  the  great  hall  of 
the  Administration  Building,  in  the  presence  of  the  coun- 
cilors, and  representatives,  and  other  dignitaries  of  the 
Nationality,  and  should  be  the  closing  event  of  the  cele- 
bration. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

THE     CELEBRATION. 

The  morning  of  July  the  fourth  came  quickly,  and 
with  it  the  President's  proclamation,  that  the  amendments 
to  the  constitution  having  been  duly  ratified  by  the  legis- 
latures o'f  three-fourths  of  the  states,  were  now  a  part  of 
the  organic  law  of  the  land,  and  entitled  to  like  respect  and 
observance  with  other  portions  of  it. 

In  the  general  rejoicing  with  which  this  announce- 
ment was  hailed  by  the  people  throughout  the  United 
States,  the  original  cause  of  the  dispute,  the  payment  of 
the  judgment  claim  against  the  Nationality,  was  forgotten; 
and  though  some  years  after,  lawyers  of  the  ancient  school 
talked  learnedly  concerning  it,  holding  that  the  General 
Government  was  still  liable  for  its  non-collection,  yet  I 
have  no  knowledge  of  what  was  finally  done  about  it. 

The  morning  broke  in  glory  in  Neuropolis.  Great 
preparations  had  been  made  for  the  celebration. 

Garlands  of  evergreens,  with  flowers  interwoven,  and 
electric  lights  interspersed  among  them,  formed  canopies 
over  the  boulevards  around  the  Administration  Square. 
Great  archways  composed  of  similar  materials  were 
thrown  across  the  points  of  intersection  of  the  Adminis- 
traJtion  boulevards,  with  the  others,  and  far  down  the  latter 
these  archways  were  continued  by  a  multitude  of  globes, 
of  varied  coloring,  hung  across  them  at  a  height  of  many 
feet. 

All  the  public  buildings  were  decorated  tastefully, 
and  strung  with  chains  of  delicately  colored  lamps;  the 

393 


394  John  Harvey 

fountains  were  in  full  play;  the  great  vases  near  the  Ad- 
ministration Building  and  all  the  parks  were  gay  with 
evergreens  and  flowers;  bands  discoursed  sweet  music; 
and  the  universal  effect  was  a  most  exquisite  and  surpris- 
ing harmony  of  music,  light  and  coloring. 

A  multitude  of  visitors  had  arrived  from  all  portions 
of  the  Union,  and  from  foreign  countries;  many  of  them 
distinguished  men  and  women;  governors  of  states  and 
other  rulers;  scientific  men,  and  men  of  letters;  all  gath- 
ered here  'to  see  and  enjoy  the  celebration  in  this  Che 
fairest  and  happiest  city  of  the  globe. 

The  officials  of  the  Nationality  and  its  invited  guests 
assembled  in  the  eastern  portico  of  the  Administration 
Building;  and  upon  the  grounds  and  the  broad  boule- 
vards around  it  seats  were  provided  for  the  people. 

Alt  the  hour  set  for  the  commencement  of  the  exer- 
cises a  great  audience,  variously  estimated  at  from  three 
hundred  to  four  hundred  thousand  persons,  was  assem- 
bled. 

The  National  Hymn,  America,  was  first  in  order;  a 
prayer  followed,  and  short  speeches  from  various  dis- 
tinguished orators.  Then  the  Hymn  of  the  Nationality, 
dedicating  the  land  to  Man,  to  Freedom  and  to  God,  was 
reverently  sung  by  the  assembled  thousands;  and  when 
its  final  stanza  welcoming  the  return  of  peace  was  finished, 
Philip  Oram  came  forward  and  was  greeted  with  such 
manifestations  of  respect,  love  and  admiration,  as  few 
men  have  ever  received. 

When  the  ovation  ceased,  he  began  his  address,  stat- 
ing his  subject  to  be,  "Certain  Eventful  Fourths  of  July." 

I  venture  at  'the  risk  of  being  considered  tedious  to 
give  some  extracts  from  this  speech. 

He  called  attention  to  the  work  set  before  the  pilgrim 
fathers,  which  he  defined  to  be  "The  reclaiming  of  a  con- 


The    Celebration  395 

tinent  from  primitive  barbarism,  and  the  founding  therein 
of  a  government  upon  principles  of  justice,  morality  and 
equality  inherent  in  the  race." 

He  then  spoke  of  the  first  notable  Fourth  of  July,  and 
graphically  described  it  thus: 

"On  the  fourth  of  July,  1776,  these  people  took  the 
first  decisive  step  toward  the  accomplishment  of  these 
objects. 

"On  that  day  their  delegates  signed  that  great  charter 
of  universal  liberty,  the  Declaration  of  American  Inde- 
pendence; a  document  far  transcending  in  its  clear  and 
distinct  enunciation  of  the  inherent  nobility  and  equal 
rights  of  man,  the  famous  Magna  Charta  of  England, 
forced  by  her  lords  from  King  John  at  the  point  of  the 
sword  on  the  'memorable  field  of  Runnymede. 

"In  that  immortal  document,  Thomas  Jefferson,  a  name 
never  to  be  forgotten,  declared  in  language  brief  and  sen- 
tentious, as  became  the  occasion,  yet  elegant,  keen,  and 
polished  as  a  Damascan  blade,  these  axioms  as  funda- 
mental principles  of  all  true  government:  'That  all  men 
are  created  equal,  endowed  by  their  Creator  with  certain 
inalienable  rights,  among  which  are  life,  liberty  and  the 
pursuit  of  happiness;  that  to  secure  these  rights  govern- 
ments are  instituted  among  men,  deriving  their  just 
powers  from  the  consent  of  the  governed;  that  whenever 
any  form  of  government  becomes  destructive  of  these 
ends  it  is  the  right  of  the  people  to  alter  or  abolish  it.' 

"In  the  Declaration,  Jefferson  but  formulated  the 
sentiments  of  the  people,  evolved  by  long  years  of  upward 
growth;  sentiments  for  whose  free  expression  they  had 
sought  these  western  wilds,  by  which  they  had  been 
cheered  and  encouraged  amid  the  difficulties  and  dangers 
of  a  frontier  life,  and  through  the  realization  of  which 
alone  they  expected  to  secure  the  blessings  of  liberty  to 


396  John  Harvey 

themselves  and  their  posterity.  His  was  the  task,  the 
mighty  task,  to  shape  these  glorious  ideas,  to  embody  in 
living  language  such  as  they  should  recognize,  these  as- 
pirations of  the  masses;  theirs  it  was  to  accept  and  defend 
them  with  their  best  blood  and  their  best  treasure" 

He  then  spoke  of  the  apparent  uncertainty  of  the 
result  of  the  conflict  with  the  Mother  Country,  "whose 
troops  then  musteredin  every  clime,  and  whose  fleets  swept 
proudly  and  victoriously  over  every  ocean  under  heaven 

"But  there  were  prophets  in  those  days  when  it 
seemed  hard  to  prophesy.  Hearken  to  the  voice  of  John 
Adams,  fhe  old  -man  eloquent,  on  all  occasions,  among  the 
people  and  in  the  halls  of  congress,  the  earnest  advocate 
and  able  defender  of  the  Declaration.  Permeated  with  the 
faith  of  a  believer  in  an  ov<  /.ling  Providence  which 
wTould  give  victory  to  a  just  cause,  he  thus  pledged  his 
support  to  the  Declaration,  and  expressed  his  conviction 
that  it  would  ultimately  prevail:  'I  am  well  aware  of  the 
toil  and  blood  and  treasure  that  it  will  cost  to  maintain 
this  Declaration,  and  support  and  defend  these  states,  yet 
through  all  the  gloom  of  the  present  I  can  s.ee  the  rays  of 
ravishing  light  and  glory.  I  can  see  that  the  end  is  worth 
more  than  all  the  means,  and  that  posterity  will  triumph 
in  this  day's  transaction.' 

"The  oracle  which  thus  spoke  was  inspired  by  the 
Genius  of  Liberty,  and  its  utterance  was  divine. 

"The  issue  was  in  fact  no  longer  doubtful.  England, 
with  all  her  strength,  her  savage  allies,  and  her  wealth  of 
resources,  was  no  match  for  arms  nerved  and  breasts 
mailed  by  principles  such  as  these. 

"The  sympathies  of  the  world  were  with  the  people, 
and  the  people  of  that  day  were  true  to  themselves,  true 
to  their  leaders  and  true  to  the  Declaration. 

"God  grant  that  in  all  future  ages;  in  ail  eventful 


The  Celebration  397 

crises;  in  all  questions  of  public  duty,  principle  and  honor, 
the  people  of  these  United  States  may  stand  as  stood  their 
fathers,  steadfastly  true  to  the  doctrines  of  that  Declara- 
tion, which  is  the  noblest  expression  of  the  fundamental 
principles  of  civil  right,  civil  equality,  and  civil  govern- 
ment, ever  vouchsafed  to  any  people." 

"The  conflict  was  over;  the  victory  was  won  and  the 
new  nation  took  its  place  among  the  powers  of  the  earth. 

"Fifty  years  more  had  passed,  and  the  summer's  sun 
of  the  fourth  of  July,  1826,  looked  down  on  a  changed  peo- 
ple and  a  changed  land.  Population  had  increased,  and 
prosperity  smiled  upon  all.  A  number  of  new  states  had 
added  fresh  stars  to  the  lately  arisen  constellation;  and  the 
free  institutions  which  the  wise  forethought  of  our  revolu- 
tionary ancestors  had  provided  had  made  America  already 
the  bourne  to  which  the  eyes  of  the  oppressed  and  down- 
trodden of  all  nations  involuntarily  turned  as  to  a  sweet 
and  long  desired  haven  of  rest. 

"Peace  spread  her  angel  wings  over  this  broad 
domain,  and  the  ravages  of  war  had  long  since  been  ob- 
liberated  by  her  busy  hands.  The  battle  field,  once  brist- 
ling with  armed  men,  was  now  covered  with  the  serried 
ranks  of  the  yielding  grain;  the  soil,  once  trampled  by  the 
hurrying  feet  of  the  pursuer  and  the  pursued,  now  grew 
green  under  the  easy  tread  of  the  quiet  cattle,  and  the 
village  bell,  whose  peal  had  often  called  the  citizens  to 
arms,  now  summoned  them  weekly  to  peaceful  prayers, 
and  on  other  days  was  answered  by  the  glad  voices  of 
children  on  their  way  to  school. 

"Trade  flourished,  and  the  ocean's  wide  expanse  was 
no  longer  reddened  by  the  murderous  broadsides  of  con- 
tending ships ;  but  instead,  over  its  restless  bosom  sped  a 
multitude  of  white-winged  merchant  vessels,  laden  with 
the  rich  products  of  the  new  world,  and  bearing  them  to 


398  John  Harvey 

the  busy  marts  and  populous  cities  of  the  old,  in  safety 
and  security. 

"A  generation,  too,  had  passed  away,  and  been  suc- 
ceeded by  another.  The  heroes  of  revolutionary  con- 
flicts, the  masters  of  the  sword  and  pen,  were  mostly 
gone;  and  their  children,  and  their  children's  children 
filled  the  land.  Washington  was  dead;  Henry  was  dead; 
Franklin  was  numbered  with  his  fathers.  Jefferson,  the 
author,  and  Adams,  the  defender  of  the  Declaration,  alone 
remained,  old  men  and  full  of  honors. 

"And  now  on  this  day,  this  fiftieth  anniversary  of  its 
publication,  in  the  divine  fitness  of  things,  came  to  both  of 
them,  that  call  appointed  once  to  all  mankind,  the  call  to 
die. 

''In  His  wisdom,  God  had  chosen  upon  that  day  to  take 
into  His  guardian  keeping  the  spirits  of  those  two  grand 
old  patriots,  so  intimately  connected  with  its  earliest  his- 
tory. And  He  sent  the  summons  to  them,  not  in  loneliness 
and  exile,  not  amid  civil  strife  and  commotion,  but  quietly 
and  peacefully  at  home  surrounded  by  friends  and  dear 
ones. 

"Not  unto  Washington  was  this  boon  granted.  Like 
David  of  old  he  had  been  a  man  of  blood;  he  had  borne 
the  sword  and  was  not  permitted  to  share  in  this  further 
dedication  of  the  day  to  Liberty.  To  Jefferson  and  to 
Adams  alone,  this  immortality  was  fitly  given. 

"And  the  summons  found  them  ready.  Life  to  them 
had  been  a  busy  scene;  full  of  cares,  of  trials  and  responsi- 
bilities. In  a  tremendous  conflict  they  had  borne  the  heat 
and  burden  of  the  day;  in  a  great  and  patriotic  purpose 
they  had  been  successful  beyond  their  highest  anticipa- 
tions. Their  best  years  and  their  best  strength  had  been 
spent  in  the  service  of  their  fellow  men;  and  in  that  service 
they  had  gained  the  brightest  laurels  ever  won,  the  re- 


The   Celebration  399 

spect,  the  reverence  and  gratitude  of  all  mankind,  and 
they  were  ready  now  to  close  the  scene,  leaving  behind 
them  their  actions,  and  their  memories,  as  the  best  legacy 
they  could  bequeath  to  posterity. 

"And  so  on  this, 'the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  their  glori- 
ous and  long-cherished  work,  these  patriots  breathed  their 
last;  while  all  around  them  the  annual  rejoicings  of  a  free 
and  ransomed  people  swelled  on  every  breeze,  and  were 
borne  like  glad  music  to  their  dying  chambers,  and 
soothed  their  fading  senses  to  their  last  repose. 

"Glorious  consummation!  Blessed  privilege!  to  be- 
hold so  great  a  work  so  well  accomplished;  and  then  in 
ripe  old  age,  on  such  a  day,  to  yield  back  calmly  a  well- 
spent  life  to  the  source  from  whence  it  came. 

"Thus  again  was  the  day  ennobled;  thus  again  was 
the  date  engraven  on  the  pages  of  our  National  History. 

"Thirty-seven  years  more  had  passed,  and  the  Nation 
had  grown  to  manhood.  It  boasted  proudly  of  its  intelli- 
gence, of  its  prosperity,  of  its  strength,  and  of  its  liberty; 
but,  alas!  it  had  not  walked  in  the  straight  path  of  recti- 
tude. 

"The  principle  of  equality,  and  the  inalienable  right 
to  life,  liberty,  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness,  affirmed  in  its 
great  bill  of  rights  as  belonging  to  all  men,  had  been  de- 
nied to  certain  classes  of  its  people;  and  an  attempt  had 
been  made  to  extend,  perpetuate  and  legalize  this  wrong. 

"High  Heaven  in  its  wise  counsels  determined  to 
purify  the  Nation  and  restore  it  to  the  paths  of  truth  and 
right  by  awful  and  well-remembered  punishment. 

For  three  long  years,  the  chastisement  of  Almighty 
God  had  fallen  upon  it;  and  compelled  it  finally  to  con- 
fess its  sin  against  these  eternal  principles  of  justice,  and 
promise  reparation. 

"But  that  covenant  could  be  sealed  only  in  blood;  and 


4<x>  John  Harvey 

the  sword  of  Omnipotence  and  Atonement  smote  fiercely 
and  effectually  over  all  the  land,  on  that  fourth  day  of 
July,  1863. 

"In  the  East,  upon  that  day,  a  blood-stained,  stricken 
field  of  fight — 'the  field  of  Gettysburg — lifted  its  hecatomb 
of  human  sacrifice  to  heaven  in  mute  appeal  for  mercy; 
while  throughout  the  wide  land  was  heard  the  voice  of 
lamentation,  Rachel  again  mourning  for  her  children,  and 
refusing  to  be  comforted  because  they  were  not. 

"In  the  West,  upon  that  day,  the  Mississippi  was  un- 
fettered, and  the  Confederacy,  founded  on  human  slavery, 
was  cleft  in  twain,  and  received  a  mortal  wound. 

"Thus,  once  more  in  the  far-reaching  dispensation 
of  Providence,  was  this  day  dedicated  to  Freedom's  holy 
cause." 

"It  has  been  customary  on  this  anniversary  to  boast- 
fully recount  the  advancement  in  material  prosperity 
among  us;  to  point  with  pride,  as  evidence  of  our  Na- 
tional greatness,  to  this  mighty  continent  we  have  re- 
claimed; in  whose  vast  extent  Europe  could  be  hidden, 
in  whose  abundant  wealth  the  Orient  finds  a  rival;  and  to 
the  countless  cities,  towns  and  villages  dotted  all  over  it, 
bound  together  in  action  by  the  sinews  of  steel  that  stretch 
along  the  ground,  and  connected  in  thought  by  the 
nerves  of  iron  that  hang  above  their  track. 

"We  forget  that  these  but  constitute  the  circum- 
stances, the  abodes,  and  dwelling  places  of  the  people; 
and  that  mere  outward  power,  increase  in  wealth,  and  vast 
extent  of  territory,  are  not  sufficient  grounds  on  which  to 
predicate  the  true  greatness,  permanence  and  happiness  of 
a  nation;  but  that  these  must  have  their  sure  founda- 
tions in  the  intelligence,  virtue,  good  sense  and  sound 
morality  of  the  people  themselves." 

"Only  the  assertion  of  some  great  right,  only  the 


The   Celebration  ,Q1 

triumph  of  some  grand  principle,  or  some  special' act  of 
J  rovidence  emphasizing  and  approving  such,  have  im- 
mortalized the  sacred  anniversaries  just  mentioned. 

Seventy-three  years  more  have  passed  since  that  last 
gieat  struggle  for  freedom  reached  its  culmination  on  the 
heWs  of  Gettysburg  and  Yicksburg,  and  to-day  we  stand 
in  the  sun  ight  of  an  anniversary  which  we  have  reason  to 
oeheve  will  be  as  memorable  as  any  of  the  others 
^       "I  thank  God  that  to-day  we  are  as  a  nation  consti- 

Drrairranteed  in  ai1  **  rights  sp°ken  °f  *»  *« 

"I  thank  Him  that  all  men  have  in  fact,  from  this  day 
onward,  an  equal  opportunity  to  enjoy  life,  liberty,  and 
happiness,  under  a  broader  and  a  truer  exposition  of  these 
rights  than  has  hitherto  been  accorded  them 

"I  thank  Him  that  the  slavery  of  poor  and  rich  •  the 
former  to  the  latter,  and  the  latter  to  mammon,  has  to-day 
been  done  away  with;  that  hereafter  intelligence  ener I 
and  skill  will  find  approval,  and  brainless  ostenta  ion  and 
pretension  wHl  have  no  followers;  that  the  talent  of  the 
land  will  be  employed,  hereafter,  not  in  pursuit  of  r  che 
or  of  fame,  but  of  that  higher  honor,  gained  in  the  s  vice 
of  humanity  and  its  common  brotherhood 

I  realize,  my  Fellow  Citizens,  that  toil,  thought  pa- 
ience  and  prayerful  earnestness  must  have  their  Say  be- 
fore we      h  ,he  fu]1  fruition  of  those    .nd  y 

fathers  planted  m  this  soil,  and  which  we,  for  the  first  time 
have  fully  recognizee 1 ;  but  I  see  with  the  patriot  Adams 
that  the  end  is  worth  more  than  all  the  means  and  that 
posterity  will  triumph  in  this  day's  transaction.' 

Ihe  proclamation  just  made  will  have  an  influent 
on  mankind  second  only  to  the  words  of  Holy  WHt 

Throughout  the  civilized  world,  the  princioles   if 
legalizes  will -sink  deep  down  in  every  human  G ^  giving 


402  John  Harvey 

to  each  man  ready  syllable  for  emotions  that  have  often 
swelled  within  his  bosom,  and  kindling  fires  that  can  never 
be  extinguished;  but  which  will  spread  and  speedily  be 
felt,  either  as  the  peaceful  element  which  cheers  and  warms 
and  comforts,  or  as  the  devouring  flame  which  consumes 
and  burns,  until  that  time  shall  come  when  every  man 
throughout  the  globe  shall  in  fact  have  equal  opportunity 
afforded  him  to  enjoy  life,  liberty  and  happiness,  and  to 
become  a  member  of  the  universal  brotherhood  of  man. 

"My  Fellow  Citizens,  we  have  glanced  at  tlie  early  his- 
tory of  the  Declaration;  we  have  traced  our  present  ad- 
vancement largely  to  the  adoption  of  its  truths ;  we  have 
dwelt  upon  their  wonderful  expansion  recognized  to-day. 
We  have  tried  to  estimate  our  own  responsibilities;  it  re- 
mains now  only  for  us  in  conclusion,  and  by  way  of  bene- 
diction, to  give  utterance  to  that  hope  for  the  future  which 
springs  unbidden  to  the  lips  of  every  true  American  on 
this,  the  nation's  birthday. 

"May,  then,  our  population  swell ;  may  our  enterprise 
increase;  may  our  knowledge  extend.  May  the  future  be 
even  brighter  than  the  present;  may  Freedom  ever  be  a 
dweller  in  our  borders;  may  the  principles  of  the  Declara- 
tion ever  be  cherished  in  American  hearts;  and  may  the 
glad  Angel  of  Peace  never  more  flee  affrighted  from  our 
land. 

"May  the  Latin  motto  of  one  of  our  oldest  states, 
'Qui  transtulit,  sustinet'  He  who  transplanted  will  sus- 
tain, ever  be  true ;  may  our  national  domain  and  greatness 
be  hereafter  bounded  only  by  the  confines  and  resources 
of  this  vast  and  fertile  continent;  and  may  our  course  in 
the  future  and  our  progress  among  the  nations  be  like  that 
of  yon  brig'ht  sun  as  it  moves  to  its  place  in  the  zenith;  the 
herald  of  increasing  light,  and  joy,  and  beauty;  the  har- 
binger of  peace,  and  plenty,  and  prosperity;  no  lurid,  fit- 


The   Celebration  403 

ful,  and  quick-fading  meteor,  rendering  darkness  more 
appalling  by  its  transient  splendor;  but  a  glorious  and 
day-bringing  luminary,  governed  by  established  and  en- 
during laws,  attracting,  vivifying  and  enriching  all  by  the 
golden  rays  of  heavenly  effulgence  which  it  sheds  upon 
them." 

The  speech  was  ended,  the  public  exercises  were  over, 
and  the  great  crowds  of  people  slowly  and  thoughtfully 
dispersed;  while  hundreds  of  workmen  cleared  the 
grounds  of  obstacles,  and  prepared  them  for  the  beauties 
of  the  night's  display. 

All  the  afternoon  the  voices  of  the  rejoicing  people 
were  heard  throughout  the  city;  and  processions  of  men 
and  women,  themselves  singing,  or  headed  by  bands  of 
music,  passed  through  the  streets. 

All  the  parks  were  rilled  with  people  making  merry 
over  their  lunches,  and  with  children  singing  songs,  or 
playing  upon  the  greensward. 

Rudeness,  or  inebriety,  were  nowhere  to  be  seen;  but 
everywhere  a  contented,  happy  and  joyous  people;  glad 
that  the  threatened  evils  of  war  had  passed  away,  and  that 
their  victory  had  been  won,  not  by  the  sword,  but  by  the 
universal  concord  of  public  opinion. 

I  returned  to  my  lodgings  and  thought  upon  the  cere- 
monial of  the  evening,  in  which  Clothilde  and  myself  were 
to  be  the  chief  actors ;  by  which  we  two,  such  firm  friends 
in  childhood,  and  in  after  years  so  strangely  met  and  made 
known  to  one  another,  were  to  be  united  in  the  indissolu- 
ble bond  of 'holy  matrimony. 

The  great  dome  of  the  Administration  Building 
swung  grandly  in  the  air,  and  as  I  sat  musing  at  my  win- 
dow, I  saw  again  upon  its  summit  the  figure  of  John 
Harvey,  resting  upon  his  sword  and  gazing  intently  to  the 
eastward. 


404  John  Harvey 

His  had  been  a  strange  history.  The  discoverer  of 
boundless  wealth  and  wonderful  secrets  in  Nature;  the 
creator  of  a  new  world  of  life,  hope,  and  enterprise;  the 
arbiter  of  the  destinies  of  millions  of  his  fellow  men;  the 
imperious  commander  who  resented  a  hostile  shot  by  the 
destruction  of  his  most  formidable  adversaries;  he  had  at 
last  fallen  a  victim  to  the  ambition,  the  greed,  and  selfish- 
ness of 'the  Money  Power,  then  omnipotent  in  the  world. 

•Could  he  have  lived  till  to-day,  and  have  seen  that 
Power  receive  its  death  wound  in  the  legalization  of  the 
principles  he  'had  maintained;  could  he  have  move'd 
among  the  people  whom 'he  loved  and  observed  their  pros- 
perity, what  good  cause  for  righteous  exaltation,  what 
happiness  and  peace  would  justly  have  been  his. 

Could  he  have  seen  his  daughter  honored  as  his 
child;  could 'he  have  been  by  her  as  she  stood  before  the 
altar  and  placed 'her  hand  in  mine,  knowing  that  I,  too,  had 
done  service  for  the  land  he  cherished,  and  judging  me 
worthy  of  the  boon  he  gave  me,  how  great  would  have 
been  his  joy  and  how  inexpressible  the  delight  to  us.  But 
this  happiness  was  denied  us. 

His  story  would  be  read  by  millions ;  it  was  now  well 
known ;  immortality  would  crown  his  name ;  it  was  now  on 
many  lips;  but  his  body  lay  in  the  weird,  awful  tomb  in 
the  crypt  below  that  mighty  dome,  and  his  soul  was  with 
his  Creator,  who  alone  knew  the  thoughts  tihat  to-day 
moved  its  hidden  depths. 

Another,  her  chosen  godfather,  would  this  evening 
stand  beside  that  daughter,  while  she  plighted  her  troth 
and  gave  her  heart  to  me,  her  childhood's  lover. 

Though  the  eyes  of  an  admiring  concourse  would  be 
on  'her;  though  a  great  people  would  reverence  her;  yet 
no  father's  or  mother's,  no  sister's  or  brother's  care  would 
attend  her  at  this  momentous  hour. 


The    Celebration  405 

A  tempest  of  such  thoughts  rushed  through  my  mind. 
I  recognized  the  lonely  sublimity  of  her  position,  and  in 
the  silence  of  my  room  I  registered  a  vow  to  heaven,  which 
I  have  ever  kept,  that  to  life's  end  I  would  be  worthy  of 
the  confidence  reposed  in  me;  that  I  would  be  to  her, 
lover,  husband,  brother,  friend,  from  this  time  onward,  aye 
through  the  silent  ages  of  eternity  in  which  we  should 
dwell  together. 

Evening  came  on  apace,  and  Clothilde  and  I  met  in 
the  great  hall  of  the  Parliament.  It  was  beautifully  dec- 
orated, and  filled  with  a  distinguished  and  brilliant  gather- 
ing. 

The  councilors  were  there  in  session;  governors,  and 
senators  and  ambassadors  and  their  wives  and  daughters 
were  present.  All  the  beauty,  grace  and  manhood  of  the 
capital,  all  the  glory  and  intelligence  of  the  nation  were 
represented. 

The  high  ceremonies  of  the  solemn  compact  followed; 
and  through  it  all  I  had  but  one  thought,  and  that  was  love 
for  the  queenly  woman  at  my  side,  and  tender  solicitude 
for  her  future  welfare  and  happiness. 

And  she,  with  her  radiant  beauty,  seemed  in  every 
movement  and  in  every  word  and  glance  to  think  but  of 
me,  and  to  rejoice  in  publicly  attesting  her  devotion. 

The  ceremony  was  over,  and  for  an  hour  we  received 
our  friends  in  the  assembly  hall.  It  was  a  joyous  day,  and 
all  felt  joyous.  Good  wishes  were  showered  on  us;  short, 
graceful  speeches  were  made  to  us  by  distinguished  per- 
sons; young  girls  presented  flowers;  and  when  we  left  to 
take  our  carriage,  we  walked  beneath  overhanging  arches, 
and  past  mossy  banks,  Which  prevented  us  from  seeing  the 
full  wonders  of  the  night's  display. 

When  we  reached  the  street,  we  looked  around;  and 
all  the  Administration  Square  was  hung  with  evergreens 


406  John  Harvey 

and  choicest  flowers,  'their  perfumes  breathing  out  sweetly 
on  the  balmy  air. 

The  boulevards  were  bathed  in  a  flood  of  light  of 
various  colors  delicately  shaded  into  one  another;  music 
pervaded  the  atmosphere,  and  numerous  birds  concealed 
in  cages,  and  awakened  by  the  light,  lent  their  voices  to  the 
enchantment.  The  waters  of  the  fountains  shone  with 
a  thousand  changing  colors;  sparkling  like  diamonds,  then 
ruddy  as  rubies,  or  yellow  like  gold,  or  green  like  em- 
erald. 

The  Administration  Building  had  a  beauty  all  its  own; 
millions  of  tiny  lamps,  strung  together  like  pearls  and 
shedding  a  silvery  light,  covered  it  from  foundation  to 
summit ;  all  the  doorways,  windows,  arches,  cornices,  pil- 
lars, entablatures  and  sculptured  figures  were  thus  plainly 
outlined. 

We  looked  upward  toward  its  dome  and  in  a  halo  of 
light  on  its  summit,  saw  the  statue  of  John  Harvey;  the 
face  and  lineaments  plainly  revealed  in  the  flood  of  golden 
radiance  enveloping  the  whole  figure  as  with  an  aureole. 

Clothilde's  eyes  as  she  turned  to  me  were  filled  with 
tears,  but  they  were  happy  tears;  the  child  rejoiced  in  the 
honor  done  by  a  grateful  people  to  a  father's  memory. 

We  made  our  way  toward  our  home  amid  a  multi- 
tude who  welcomed  us  on  ever}-  hand  with  demonstrations 
of  respect,  gratitude,  and  affection. 

Our  separate  histories  were  finished,  and  our  life 
union  was  begun. 

So  also  was  it  with  our  country;  its  separate  interests 
were  united,  and  its  history  of  joint  effort  had  commenced. 

State  by  state  took  advantage  of  the  privileges  afford- 
ed by  the  amendments  and  joined  the  Nationalistic  sys- 
tem; until  to-day  it  is  the  only  one  known  throughout  the 


The   Celebration  407 

Union;  'and  peace,  prosperity,  and  happiness  have  uni- 
versally attended  its  adoption. 

Clothilde  and  I  lived  quietly  and  joyfully  within 
Neuropolis,  which  had  been  the  scene  of  our  meeting, 
courtship  and  marriage. 

Other  cities  came  into  prominence;  the  Government 
of  the  United  Nationalistic  System  was  established  in  an- 
other; but  none  seemed  to  us  so  fair,  so  joyous,  and  so 
homelike,  as  that  associated  with  our  early  memories. 

Twenty-four  years  later,  Clothilde  and  myself,  with 
John  Paul,  St.  John,  and  Philip  Oram,  Mr.  Beyresen  having 
gone  to  his  long 'home  and  the  latter  having  been  selected 
in  his  place,  stood  again  before  the  tomb  of  John  Harvey; 
our  errand  being  to  perform  his  bidding,  and  destroy 
whatever  he  had  not  destroyed,  and  to  do  honor  to  his 
memory  while  we  had  the  opportunity. 

Again  the  solemn  music  heralded  our  approach; 
again  the  dread  mystery  of  the  dead  in  his  sepulchral 
chamber  fell  upon  us;  again  I  stood  by  Clothilde's  side, 
she  more  womanly  and  more  beautiful  than  ever;  again  I 
took  the  key  from  her  hand  and  turned  the  fateful  lock; 
but  this  time  when  the  aperture  opened  no  evidence  ap- 
peared of  any  writing  hidden  there. 

Then  I  closed  it,  and  we  left  the  chamber,  while 
weird  music  for  the  last  time  sounded  from  the  choir, 
seeming  to  tell  us,  as  the  doors  shut  silently  behind  us, 
that  John  Harvey'stomb  was  not  accessible  again  to  mortal 
man. 


The  End. 


